Wow. Just Wow. This is the best book I've read in 2024. Hands down.

Sylvie is a lost free spirit, always craving something more; something that can spice up her humdrum life. She's searching for her happiness and purpose in life but she doesn't even begin to find it until her entire world implodes around her. After misadventures in Scotland, where she has a not-so-pleasant meet-cute with a Scottish brute named Killian, she is stuck alone with an ex-boyfriend, an ex-best friend, and estranged horrible parents. Unexpectedly she is thrust into the opportunity of a lifetime; an arranged marriage with Killian for one year for a hefty payout. Killian is a grumpy recluse who never leaves his home, and over the span of 10 years has turned the family estate into a house of debauchery, so when his family approaches him with this opportunity of an arranged marriage, he believes that the house will become his at the end of the year sentence. But Sylvie secretly has to sign his family home away to the rest of his family.

Their dynamic is volatile, aggressive and is the perfect example of the thin line that exists between love and hate. They hate each other so fervently and as their time together grows they end up loving each other just as fervently. They both face their biggest demons together, pushing each other to step outside their comfort zones, and supporting each other through their darkest moments. Choosing love over all their fears, for the sake of the other. When everything crumbles and they split, I WEEPED. I was beside myself watching them have to navigate their lives alone. But their reunion was perfection and their love is something that I think everyone should aspire to; strong, solid and unwavering.

I've talked about this before, but what makes Sara's writing so special is that while her stories are full of taboo and kinky spice, they are just as rich, if not richer in story and character development. The spice is not necessarily the focal point of the story, but how their preferences in bedroom activities speaks to the complexities of them as a person. The development of their relationship outside of the bedroom translates into trust and care in the bedroom, only adding to the depth of their love for one another. While this book is not as spicy as some of her past novels, its intentional, it brings the heat but serves so much purpose to their story.

Kelly Tager and Will Watt blew me away. If I could add applause sound effects to this I would! What a performance from them both and I love Will and his portrayal of Killian was fantastic, but Kelly stole the show for me. I felt everything that Sylvie felt viscerally and Kelly's performance brought that to life in a way I don't know I've experienced in an audiobook before. What a talent. Bravo!

The idea of getting paid $10 million for one year of marriage to a broody, hunky Scot had me hook, line, and sinker. Sign me up! However, the main female character, Sylvie, was so selfish, entitled, and whiny from the get-go, that I had a hard time getting into this one. I stuck with it because I was listening to the audio version and the narrators did a decent job of keeping my attention, even if the female narrator was a bit off on her Scottish accent at times. There was a definite 50 Shades of Grey vibe going on, but with a marginally better writing style. One other thing that bugged me was that I never really understood the tipping point from lust to love here--it seemed...arbitrary. In any case, it was mildly entertaining and a good one to listen to while driving back and forth to work (as long as you don't have any kids in the car!)

A huge thank you to Sara Cate and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to review the advanced listener’s copy of Keep Me!

I absolutely loved this audiobook. The narrators were fantastic and brought the novel to life. I felt like I was truly in Scotland, which made me want to visit even more!

This enemies-to-lovers story features Sylie, who has been through a lot—from her boyfriend cheating on her to being completely broke. She finds herself agreeing to a deal no one could refuse: $10 million to marry Killian Barclay. The reasons behind this arrangement? You’ll have to read the book to find out!

The forced proximity was executed perfectly, with plenty of bickering and constant sexual tension between Sylie and Killian.

If you’re looking for a captivating romance, explore Keep Me. You won’t be disappointed!

Sara Cate, a grumpy-grumpy romance, and a mercurial billionaire Scottish hero (with kilts?!) Such a recipe for so much delicious!! Keep Me is intriguing and tension-fueled enemies to lovers page turner, brimming with sassy banter and kinetic chemistry. Throw in some beauty in the beast vibes- heroine takes a deal to willingly be trapped in a Scottish mansion with a beastly lord of the manor - and a bit of kinky scandal, and I was hooked.

Our meet cute happens with a Scottish manor invasion…of the more fun kind, as Sylvie recklessly breaks into Killian’s house in order to lay eyes on a historical typewriter for her boyfriend. Said intrusion leads to quite a vitriolic meeting for the two…not to mention causes a domino effect as Sylvie, already broken after being cut off by her parents, suddenly finds herself single and pretty much alone and hopeless. Until an intriguing offer comes her way from Killian’s family- marry the rude Scottish lord for a year to help his reputation (and help the family get control of the house) in exchange for 10 million.

Sylvie and Killian are so deliciously hostile to each other at first- both also drawn to and intrigued by each other. True enemies to lovers here- in fact, Killian says some pretty nasty things to her in his notorious tantrums, and Sylvie really can get under his skin. They are both grumpy and a bit anti-people, but under it they both have some really heavy baggage stemming from their history with their families, primarily their parents. Killian has true unaddressed trauma, insecurities, and paralyzing fears…..let’s just say, there’s a reason this man is so attached to his manor, and it’s not his kinky parties. And Sylvie, will at first seems pretty entitled and recklessly privileged, is actually tragically lonely and unseen. She’s the quintessential bad attention is better than no attention- she’s lost, thirsty for love, and desperate to matter.

Truthfully, they aren’t easy characters to love at first- their flaws are flags they both wave proudly. But as the story unfolds, we see the layers and dynamics unfold. And they start to connect more authentically, as Killian sees Sylvie in a way that is validating to her. His protection of her, his care for her comes often with edges, but it’s a visibility and concern she’s never experienced before. And she cares about Killian’s baggage in a non-judgemental way. She breathes new life into him and settles him. IN both they find the first real connection either has every experienced, earth shattering for both of them. And it’s not easy- there is angst and drama and they fight it tooth and nail, but ultimately they settle into an unexpected romance where the marriage no longer feels fake.

I’ll say the first half of this felt a bit slow for me, I think in part because the characters take a minute to sink your teeth into and love. Their personalities are very strong- and they sure do fight.. Killian is truly a brute, and Sylvie seems petulant and bratty at times. But I really loved the second half of this, and while their love did feel a bit fast for me, I did really buy into their connection and chemistry. I loved how they helped each other grow- Sylvie felt more grounded and mature and selfless, and Killian softened and addressed his past.

As someone who is a huge Sara Cate fan, the spice in this one is definitely softer and lighter, and some of the triggers or warnings are even unnecessary/ misleading. Don’t expect some SPC level kink here. Which honestly, the story didn’t need it, it’s beautiful enough and the spice was enjoyable! But I felt like it warned a lot of kink and BDSM and kinky parties, and while this was there, it wasn’t a huge element and didn’t really play a part of the characters or get too kinky (which I’m actually glad about). In fact, the kinky party piece (and past cheating) felt almost unneeded for their story, and as such it almost felt a bit unresolved. Like it was added for the shock/kink of it. I’m so used to Sara Cate stories having the sex be a huge catalyst to the character growth vs. it just being there, and in this story that didn’t feel like it was the case. It might just be that there was just too many elements in the expanse of the story (that also had some timehops, with off page character growth that I wish we’d seen more) so a few pieces felt less essential or not as developed/resolved (the parties, her family element, his past affair, etc). But the romance itself was the star of the show, and while there might be some loose ends, I did love how their arcs resolved and they found their together, and the ending was super cute and satisfying. This definitely felt on the sweeter side for Sara Cate, which I loved after such a turbulent beginning for these two.

Will Watt and Kelli Tager are amazing on the audio. Will and his Scottish accent as Killian pretty much melted me- and I loved the layers he brought to the performance, both the angry/grumpy Killian side as well as the vulnerable, broken side of him. And Kelli brought so much empathy and emotion to Sylvie, even when the character was being petulant or reckless, she leveled a gravitas to the performance that brought Sylvie to life.

I hope we get more from the characters (the brothers, his sister) in this world- I’d love some more time in Scotland, and perhaps with his brothers we’ll also get to more outside of the manor Scottish fun too.

💍 Marriage of Convenience
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Grumpy X Grumpy
💍 Family drama and secrets
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scottish Broody Billionaire (and yes, kilts!)
💍 Enemies to Lovers
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Forced Proximity
💍Strangers to hateful enemies to lovers
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Age gap (10+ years)

Just trust me and RUN to grab this book!!! I devoured this book in less than 2 days! It was fun, heartfelt and 🌶️🌶️🌶️

I listened to the audiobook and LOVED it!! The narrators were phenomenal! Their accents were perfect!! I highly recommend listening to this audiobook!!

Also, a man in therapy NEEDS to be a more common trope!! I loved the personal development of the MMC so much and how he worked on himself so he could be deserving of the love of his life💕💕💕

While that was super sweet, the MMC is definitely not a sweet man. He is rugged and rough around the edges. A brute really 😉 the MC’s really hate eachother for most of the book and give off true enemies to lovers vibes🔥🔥 The tension they create is palpable and scorching!!

Overall I think you should read this one!!

This book is for all my fellow enemies-to-lovers in forced proximity friends! Killian needs to clean up his act and be a more active participant in his life, so his family gets him to agree to a marriage of convenience. Enter Sylvie, who was recently cut off from her family and needs to find a way to keep her head above water. The two bicker constantly but eventually give into their attraction for one another.

While I loved the premise of the book, it fell a bit flat for me. I struggle with books where one of the main character is in sexual relationships outside of the core relationship; and Killian was with. multiple women in the beginning of the book. I also wish there wouldn't have been so much time spent on all of these women that he's been with in the past; it took me away from the main storyline so often, I don't know if I would have finished if this wasn't an audiobook. With that said, I did love how Killian was a protector and willing to do what he needed to be better for Sylvie later in the book. Seeing growth in main characters is one of my favorite things to see, especially when they started where Killian was at the beginning.

This book may not have been for me but I do still believe others would enjoy it! Sara Cate is one of my favorite authors, and I still look forward to more books from this series!

🔥Sylvie has discovered that her fiancee has cheated on her with none other than her best friend. Needing money, and fast, she resorts to marrying the one man she detests to help his family out. One year, no cheating, no love involved. What's the worst that can happen?

🔥 Killian has lived in the same family home for the past six years, struggling to leave his residence. When his family begs him to marry Sylvie, someone he can't stand, he agrees. What's the worst that can happen?

🎧 Kelli Tager does a fantastic job of transporting the listener into Sylvie's word, rooting for her and truly hating her family. I LOVED Will Watt and his ACCENT. I immediately yearend for more of Killian's story, finding his to be the most emotional. While I don't think this Sara Cate his the most spicy scenes, what it lacks for in spice it makes up for in emotion. There were definitely some "awwww teary face" emoji moments and I look forward to seeing who is the nexrt books FMC!

Sylvie & Killian
Age gap
Billionaire
Hate to Love
Marriage of convenience

I have conflicted feelings over this book! It's nothing like I was expecting from a typical Sara Cate book. Whilst there are spicy themes in the book, it isn't actually very spicy compared with Sara's norm.

That being said, I did really enjoy this one!

Killian has been through some traumatic life events, and he's very misunderstood! I love how his sister is doing everything she can to help him rediscover his true self!

Sylvie takes no nonsense from everyone! Her family are horrible and she decides to take her life into her own hands, by moving to Scotland!!

I did an audio/ebook parallel read for this one and really enjoyed it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape for providing me with the ALC of Keep Me!

4.5 stars, rounded up for NetGalley

Killian and Sylvie have such fantastic banter, right from the moment she breaks into his house to find a typewriter. They bicker and they call each other terrible names, and I was completely here for it.

There is tension and frustration as they figure out their roles within their marriage of convenience. Of course, all that tension leads to some spicy moments! Killian has an endearing nickname for Sylvie, but he also calls her “my wife”, and every time he does that, I fall more in love with him!

There are some really tough moments that the MCs go through, and I really felt for them as they struggled to cope with their issues. But when they step up for each other (even when they don’t really like each other!) it’s so heartwarming.

Featuring some of my favourite tropes:
🖤 Scottish manor (he’s a billionaire)
🖤 Marriage of convenience
🖤 My wife
🖤Mo gráidh (his nickname for her)
🖤 Enemies to lovers
🖤Forced proximity

Sylvie and Killian

Keep Me has become one of my favorites from Sarah Cate. The chemistry between Sylvie and Killian is top tier and the banter… omg so good!!! This book had me laughing out loud and at times I felt a bit emotional but I think it was from the way I could relate to Sylvie on some level. Sara writes in away you can almost feel what the characters are feeling and this one got me. Don’t fret though ladies the spice is there and as hot as ever!! The ending is absolutely perfect and I don’t think it would have worked any other way. You did an absolutely amazing job on this book Sara!!! I enjoyed it so much!!! I wonder if I could get my husband to wear a kilt and call me mo ghràidh in a Scottish accent 🤔🤔🤔

Keep Me on audiobook

After reading Keep Me I knew if the narrators were good the audiobook would be absolutely amazing and omg were they were perfect!!!! Will Watt and Kelli Tager did a fantastic job!! I think Will could read the phone book in any accent and make me melt 😅

Keep Me by Sara Cate is delightfully steamy all while set in the picturesque Scotland. I absolute ate this up! I really loved the narration in this audiobook. I thought the narrators fit the characters perfectly and added so much to the story. They added so much depth and emotion to the story that you could feel the tension and antics while they spoke. I thought it flowed perfectly and added to the story. I loved the marriage of convenience plot line and the dislike to lovers trope. One thing I loved was that the wiring felt new and different from Sara Cate. The writing style I thought was well done and I liked that there was more emotional and development and you see the characters fall for each other begrudgingly. It's fun, steamy, romantic and I enjoyed it a lot!

Okay, my first Sara Cate and it’s a big ole yes from me. I have seen a few of her books roaming around here on booksta but haven't come across one that really screamed for me to read it. This one popped up on @netgalley in audio and i figured, why the fuck not?! A spicy book with a Scottish MC? Yup, I’m in.

Forced proximity, hate to love, spice, family dynamics, self discovery… this one has a little bit of everything and all the everythings are done to perfection.

Some of it was a little… much for me, but it was a means to an end and made sense for the story.

Killian, despite his gruff exterior, ended up being the softest teddy bear to our girl, Sylvie. These two really brought out the best in one another and wanted the best for the other no matter the circumstance.
It was spicy af, bit also made me hella emotional. I devoured this one!

Oh, Killian Barclay *fans self*
How you move me with your lovely pet names like fooking cow and filthy wench *swoon*

But seriously! He may be my new favorite book boyfriend! Kilt and all! I've never had a thing for a Scottish accent, but dammit I do now! He's a recluse in a big Scottish mansion and isn't impressed with the idea of a wife, but if it'll get his family off his back, he'll do it. He'll marry the bloody wench from America. These two had chemistry right off the bat, and the forced marriage just threw gasoline on the fire. I love everything about this book!

Dislike to love
Contract/fake marriage
A smidgen of BDSM play
Pretty tame as Sara Cate books go

Book 1 of Sinful Manor
Narrated by Kelli Tager & Will Watt

I enjoyed this one so much. I just knew from the get go when I saw Killian and Sylvie's attitudes I would love them. His broodiness. Her sassiness. They were just so hateful. So you know...absolutely sold. Even though they held such a grudge for each other their marriage of convenience was perfect. They both needed out of their norm and to discover new things about themselves. I loved watching them work through their hurdles and figure out what they both wanted instead of settling for what they thought they needed to do. Especially loved seeing into their vunerable sides and their hardships. Such a great balance.

The writing is just so good. I laughed and squealed for them. And when the spice hit...It HIT. And the audio. Shewwweee man that dang Scottish accent had me weak at my knees! Fantastic job by the narrators and @dreamscape_media. A solid 4 star read! 👏🏻

Another great one by @saracatebooks ! Thank you so much for allowing me to listen and review. 🖤

This was my first Sara Cate book, but I see her stuff EVERYWHERE and I was super curious to read something. I feel like this was a good place to start!

Thank you so much to Hambright PR for the eARC / Dreamscape Media and LibroFM for the ALC... these are my honest thoughts!

This is a story about a stuck-up New Yorker whose parents have cut her off... her boyfriend winds up being a cheater, and a chance encounter with a Scottish mansion while they were on vacation leads to this wild marriage of convenience story with a man who never leaves his house... oh, and he makes his house into a sex club on occasion.

I was expecting more spice and scandal in this one based on the premise, but what I got instead was a story of a very broken man grieving the death of his parents, and a wild child girl who finally begins to care about someone other than herself.

The connection and bond that forms between strangers/enemies-to-lovers is BEAUTIFUL. Both characters like to go for shock value, but it works out for them in the end because they end up feeding off each other's energy. And what mattered in the beginning of their one-year (by contract) marriage ends up transforming into something more.

And then... the third act happens, and Sara Cate just had me ALL UP IN MY FEELINGS ABOUT IT.... this break-up... the distance... the time.

The audio was SO GOOD. I loved both narrators and their performances. We got snotty New Yorker and we got grumpy Scotsman. We got the drama and the passion and the heartbreak in this story, and it was done SO WELL. Highly recommend checking this one out on audio!

Four solid stars. I'll be back for more Cate in the future!

♥️ Let me just start by saying that Sara Cate is an autobuy author for me. She writes it, I’m reading it. And this one may just be her best yet!

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 What’s it about?

Sylvie is impulsive and adventurous, which leads her into breaking into a Scottish manor to look for her boyfriend’s family’s typewriter. When she runs into the surly and sexy home’s owner, Killian, it’s hate at first sight.

Back in America, Sylvie has been financially cut off from famous artist parents and learns her terrible boyfriend has been cheating. She’s broke and out of options.

That is until Killian’s sister shows up and makes her an offer she can’t refuse: marry Killian for a year so their family can gain control over the old manor, and walk away with $10 million.

♥️ My thoughts:

I freaking LOVED every second of this book. The tension, the banter, the hate, the chemistry, their brokenness. Lots of “my wife.”

I am always a sucker for a gruff man with a soft interior that he only shares with his woman. Killian was not only that, but Scottish and ruggedly handsome to boot.

The mental health representation in this book was so freaking good. I am glad we got to see it in the tough male character, and walk with him as he battles his own demons.

I was sad this one was over, which is always the sign of a 5-star read.

🎧 The audio version was expertly narrated by Kelli Tager and Will Watt, who brought this novel to life. Their Scottish accents were both authentic and understandable. And Kelli’s emotions. Just wow!

This book was such a fantastic read.. Killian is so incredibly grumpy and has some demons to work through. Sylvie is so sweet, spunky, and loveable. They truly make this story amazing.
I wasn't expecting this story to be so intensely emotional. Killian really put his heart on his sleeve for Sylvie and Sylvie helps him work through so much anger and sadness. Through the first little bit of this book, I expected to dislike Killian, but I never did. The way it was written made his story really interesting and I think the way that Killian and Sylvie were intertwined in each other's lives really showcased his story well.

In terms of plot, this one is really great with no plot holes. It is paced well and I didn't ever find myself wishing that the story would just hurry up. I really wanted to know more about Killian and what made him the way he was. More than that, I wanted so badly for him to have the happy ending he so desperately deserved. Without spoiling anything, I would say this is lower angst than I expected in terms of the secret, which isn't a bad thing AT ALL. I loved the way Sara wrote out that part of the story.

This book is SPICY, but filled with so much love and emotion. I really enjoyed that it was such an important part of their story,, but it wasn't just scene after scene. It was well placed and well written. 7/10 spice level for sure. There is lots of tension and spice angst.

The narrators really helped bring these characters to life. Truly! It was so lovely. I really think the narrators made this book so much better for me, as a reader. They didn't read too fast or too slow and all of the emotion within the pages was evident in their voices which helped immerse me into the story. It is 10 hours long and I finished it in 6 at 2.5 ish speed and I listened to it in one day.

I will probably be adding this to my shelf at home.

📚⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🎧⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🔥🌶️🌶️🌶️

Dual narration by Kelli Target & Will Watt

• Marriage of Convenience • Grump/Grumpy • Broody Scottish Billionaire • Hate to Love • Forced Proximity • Kinky Vibes •

This book had two feisty MCs who both have a lot they need to work through, but they find the beginnings of healing together. And of course, tears were shed, not just by the characters, but me as well. I really liked the way she did dual POV in this book, with each MC getting several chapters from their POV in a row before switching to the other MC.

I loved it! Killian, the grumpy, billionaire Scotsman, and Sylvie, the feisty, stubborn, lonely New Yorker. They were such a balanced match and the dislike-to-love and forced proximity were perfect!

Not as spicy as Sara’s books usually are, but what was there was so delicious! She still managed to squeeze in a little spanking and other k¡nks.

I almost knocked out down to 4.5 stars because I felt like we didn’t really get to feel them fall in love. It kind of felt like they just got used to each other’s company and saw how shitty people treated them. So much of Killian’s growth happened in the 8 months they were apart for the 3rd act break up.

But I overall enjoyed the story and their interactions and loved when he came for her in town at night and when he threw her parents out of his house. I loved Killian’s grumpiness and protectiveness, truly showing up for her when no one else in her life had. So many sweet moments too: Christmas, the book, when she was sick, the beach—I could go on and on.

The narrators were great! The Scottish accents were subtle but still understandable. And I picked up some additional stuff while listening that I missed while reading.

Thank you Sara, for both an ARC and ALC of this book!

“You have us. You’re not alone.”

I’m truly not sure how she does it, but Sara manages to blow me away with every book she writes.

I walked into this one blind, purely sold on it based on the author and the fact that it was set in Scotland. But it turned into so much more.

This book was a phenomenal marriage-of-convenience romance about learning to love, be loved, and be worthy of love while being broken. And I don’t know about you, but that hit me in the feels with every page.

“You’re never more beautiful than when you stick up for yourself.”

This book, along with many of her others, was healing in ways I didn’t anticipate. I loved reading and learning about both Killian and Sylvie—their pasts, their goals, and what they were willing to do to make them happen. The banter and the chemistry between the two of them was pure fire and I wasn’t able to put it down.

I think the thing I loved the most about Killian and Sylvie is how much they both individually grow, how much they care for one another despite not wanting to, and the genuine friendship that forms from the most unlikely of pairings.

“He’s the last person on earth I want to love, but I can’t help it. I do.”

I cannot recommend Sara’s books enough—and if you’re looking for a Scottish treat, I just know you’ll love this one. And it comes out tomorrow!

You’ll love this book if you like:
- Scottish setting
- Marriage of convenience
- Found family
- Forced proximity
- Enemies to lovers

CW: parental neglect, cheating (not between main characters), death, agoraphobia, PTSD, alcoholism, bullying, aggression

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨️
🌶🌶🌶🌶

♡ Scottich Billionaire
♡ Marriage of Convenience
♡ Enemies(ish) to Lovers
♡ Grumpy & Grumpier
♡ Familial Grief/Trauma
♡ "My wife"

One grumpy Scottish billionaire + one spoiled American prodigy (loosely) = a battle of wills and an explosion of passions.

I wasn't sure how I was going to like this book, but I should know by now to never doubt Sara Cate. 🤌 I should also know that she is going to hurt my feelings every time. 🙃

This is the story of how money and privilege can't always buy happiness, and also how great banging one out after a screaming match can be. These two are constantly bumping heads and exchanging verbal blows, but you know what they say about hate being another form of passion?

Also, Killian gives me major Heathcliff vibes with his tortured brooding hero persona.

The audiobook is a DUAL narration, meaning the female narrator reads all of Sylie's POV chapters and the male narrator reads all of Killian's. Both did a great job, though, nothing tops Will's Scottish accent for Killian. 👌

Thank you to Sara Cate and her team, as well as NetGalley for the ALC and ARC!