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3.93 AVERAGE
3.93 AVERAGE
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was alright. I myself am not really into the whole pseudo-incest stuff, so I hesitate on this book. However, I am a huge fan of Sara Cate, and was interested in how she would explore this, since forbidden romance is her forté. However, I feel that even though the story started off strong, it was pushed forward way too quickly, especially for two characters who are supposed to be struggling with admitting their feelings because they are step-siblings. For example, the first time they are sexually intimate with each other, Garrett and Mia are bickering and one of them suddenly throws out something along the lines of, “you want to fuck me so bad.” This is odd because Mia has always stayed quiet about her feelings for Garrett due to him being her stepbrother, and people just don’t argue like this unless they’re dating. On top of that, because Garrett was determined to keep quiet about his desires for Mia at this point, it seemed very out of character. The whole situation seemed like it was for the sole reason of to pushing the plot further.
That being said, I did enjoy Garrett and Mia as individuals. Garrett’s struggles withmental health and how it has caused him to stay away from his family was a really interesting aspect to his character. Him having a 2-week long depression episode, trying to quit his job, and him talking about past incidents of him showing drunk or hungover were really realistic details that I appreciated. As for Mia, I enjoyed that Sara gave her a proper reason as to why she does sex work. Though, I wish we would’ve been able to dive a little more into Mia’s past and her struggles with trusting men and growing up as a bigger girl (but that was just a little personal wish of mine).
Another thing I did really enjoy about this book, however, is their dynamic. I love a bickering couple, especially one where it’s clear they’re only arguing because they’re super into each other. I love it when characters are angry/aroused 😂
That being said, I did enjoy Garrett and Mia as individuals. Garrett’s struggles with
Another thing I did really enjoy about this book, however, is their dynamic. I love a bickering couple, especially one where it’s clear they’re only arguing because they’re super into each other. I love it when characters are angry/aroused 😂
This is the second book in the Salacious Players Club series and this story focuses on another one of the owners of the club, Garrett. If you've read Credence, you may be familiar with the family-but-not-family trope, and this book has it too in the form of stepbrother and stepsister. No blood relation, but relation by marriage. Generally, that is enough to steer me away from a book, but I enjoyed the first book, Praise, so much that I decided to give it a chance anyway. I'm glad I did. Garrett and Mia have an interesting dynamic throughout the book, giving a glimpse into their history together and why they act the way they do. Garrett struggles with some depression, and Mia helps make him better in a way only she can. There is a ton of sexual tension throughout this book, along with numerous spicy scenes that are well-written and not overdone. If you enjoyed Praise, as I did, you will enjoy this book. I also finished this part of the series in two days.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a lot. Step brother sister thing, virgin thing, age difference thing, sex workers thing.
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Ehh.
I went into this expecting a fun, albeit not amazing book. Just something hot to kill some time, nothing that'd rock my world.
It did though. In a bad way.
There were so many things that bothered me. From the constant repeating of "She's a virgin!? What?! Isn't she like 23? :o And a complete smoke show too!" to the characters acting like kids (the hero is supposed to be 36?!!?).
Don't even get me started on their parents being completely okay with everything. Booring.
I went into this expecting a fun, albeit not amazing book. Just something hot to kill some time, nothing that'd rock my world.
It did though. In a bad way.
There were so many things that bothered me. From the constant repeating of "She's a virgin!? What?! Isn't she like 23? :o And a complete smoke show too!" to the characters acting like kids (the hero is supposed to be 36?!!?).
Don't even get me started on their parents being completely okay with everything. Booring.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I like the continuation of the same characters from Praise but a new couples’ story. It allowed for more character and plot building, since the world was already built.
I somehow keep accidentally reading step sibling romances which is NOT my thing, but if it’s your thing, this is for you!
dark
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Another easy read with some fun forbidden elements but definitely not as entertaining or impactful as its predecessor.
VIBES
✨ Stepsibling/age gap
✨ Sex positivity + cam work
✨ Dislike to love
✨ Grumpy × sunshine
✨ Lots of spice
✨ Light LGBT rep
🗨️ Dual POV
🗨️ First-person, present tense
✨ Sex positivity + cam work
✨ Dislike to love
✨ Grumpy × sunshine
✨ Lots of spice
✨ Light LGBT rep
🗨️ Dual POV
🗨️ First-person, present tense
THOUGHTS (spoiler-lite™)
The Good:
✅ The teasing relationship between Garrett and Mia was a fun dynamic.
✅ The stepsibling taboo wasn't gross, for the most part. Garrett was an adult when Mia became his stepsister and didn't have much to do with her while she was growing up, and his emotional and sexual attraction to her didn't start until she was in her 20's. She had a crush on him from her teen years, but it didn't grow into anything more until he showed interest. It's a bit weird how quickly their parents accepted the relationship but... each to their own.
✅ The sex scenes are both fun and frequent, although I didn't find the voyeurism play to be as interesting as the dom/sub play in Praise.
✅ The writing is super easy to read, for the most part.
✅ The nickname 'brat' in this particular dynamic.
✅ Emerson... again. He's not very present in this book, but when he is, he's there being a fucking great friend to Garrett.
The Bad:
❌ There were a few too many sub-plots going on, so none of them were very well fleshed out.
❌ Grovel? What grovel?Interrupting Mia's solo main-stage performance to 'claim' her in front of a crowd is NOT the same thing as apologising.
❌ The exclusivity of the relationship is kind of ambiguous towards the end. So, Garrett doesn't want Mia working as a camgirl but he's happy for her to perform solo at the club?
❌ 'Sexy' is not a sexy word. Also, personal preference here, 'my sex' is not a sexy euphemism.
❌ Once again, this could've used more editing; there are a few punctuations marks missing and a few sentences that just don't read right.
✅ The teasing relationship between Garrett and Mia was a fun dynamic.
✅ The stepsibling taboo wasn't gross, for the most part. Garrett was an adult when Mia became his stepsister and didn't have much to do with her while she was growing up, and his emotional and sexual attraction to her didn't start until she was in her 20's. She had a crush on him from her teen years, but it didn't grow into anything more until he showed interest. It's a bit weird how quickly their parents accepted the relationship but... each to their own.
✅ The sex scenes are both fun and frequent, although I didn't find the voyeurism play to be as interesting as the dom/sub play in Praise.
✅ The writing is super easy to read, for the most part.
✅ The nickname 'brat' in this particular dynamic.
✅ Emerson... again. He's not very present in this book, but when he is, he's there being a fucking great friend to Garrett.
The Bad:
❌ There were a few too many sub-plots going on, so none of them were very well fleshed out.
❌ Grovel? What grovel?
❌ The exclusivity of the relationship is kind of ambiguous towards the end. So, Garrett doesn't want Mia working as a camgirl but he's happy for her to perform solo at the club?
❌ 'Sexy' is not a sexy word. Also, personal preference here, 'my sex' is not a sexy euphemism.
❌ Once again, this could've used more editing; there are a few punctuations marks missing and a few sentences that just don't read right.
I'm not mad at him or want to fight with him.
Turning the water on, I undress her first, which she lets me.
...recently defiled in numerous ways in the past two weeks.
❌ Last but definitely not least... The manic-depressive narrative.
→ Insinuating that Garrett has struggled for 36-years and then Mia comes along and makes it better is not it. It's kind of addressed in the epilogue where we see that he's medicated and in therapy, but it didn't sit right with me for most of the book.
→ Cate claims that Garrett suffers from manic depression (a.k.a. bipolar disorder), but we only hear about and see Garrett's depressive episodes; there's no mention of mania. The closest we got was the flashback chapter where
→ Garrett mentions that his depressive episodes mostly last a day or two, which by definition are not depressive episodes. Not to undermine the episodes he actually does have (being two two-week episodes, 10-years apart) but... that's some bad rep. People who suffer from depression don't just bounce back after a couple of days' rest.
→ Garrett's mum apologises for not getting him the help he needed as a kid, and he brushes it off because nOoNe iS eQuIpPeD to raise a depressed kid. But he was 26 (!!!) by the time she recognised that he needed help.
→ All that to say, Garrett's 'depression' feels like a token trait to make the readers empathise with him, rather than being something that Cate truly wanted to discuss.
4.5 🌶️
→ explicit
→ a little kinky
→ plentiful
Spicy Chapters:
Kinks:
FAVOURITE QUOTES
"Love isn't shit. It's not worth a damn thing. But time, attention, priority... those things are real, and until a man gives you those, don't give him the time of day, beautiful."
_____
"You're the world's worst business partner," I mutter.
"Well, then I guess it's a good thing I'm not here as your business partner."
_____
Note: Huh, the severe lack of highlights in my ebook is pretty telling for how little impact this had on me. I didn't highlight one quote or thought from Garrett or Mia, and I didn't laugh out loud or swing my legs like a schoolgirl once while reading this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Suicidal thoughts