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readingbetweenthevines's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I knew Daddy Ronan would be my favourite, I just knew it.
When I started seeing reviews for Highest Bidder all over bookstagram and booktok, I absolutely had to get my hands on it. But, because I’m me, I needed to read all the Salacious Players Club books immediately. So I bought them all, without ever having read anything by Sara Cate - and now, I must read everything she’s written.
I’m a sucker for an age gap romance, it’s definitely one of my favourite tropes, and Ronan and Daisy were everything. It was sweet how at first Daisy wasn’t interested in older men, but in getting to know Ronan she fell anyways. The relationship developed at a quick pace, but it also seemed very natural and I just loved how they wanted to take care of each other. I really liked how their respective grief was treated, and in the end how they got to experience joy after everything.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Death
Minor: Pregnancy and Child death
geminimarsss's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Child death, Death, and Grief
Minor: Pregnancy
bookswith_vivi's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Cancer, Car accident, Child death, and Death of parent
shyannereads's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Sexual content, and Grief
Moderate: Death, Child death, and Pregnancy
sdupont's review against another edition
emotional
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
5.0
This book is officially my favorite in the series! Somehow this book manages to deliver on spice and swoony sweetness. I absolutely love Ronan- he is so kind and nurturing he just loves to shower Daisy with affection and to take care of her. I quite easily found myself rooting for Daisy and Ronan despite knowing her deceased mom had dated him too <\spoiler>. I really enjoyed how much heart this story had, which still being hot. I absolutely recommend everyone to go and read this book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Death of parent, Medical content, Death, Pregnancy, Violence, and Child death
Minor: Cancer and Car accident
katiesurbeck's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Everything I wanted it to be & more! Surprisingly emotional. The emotional connection between Daisy and Ronan was palpable and beautiful. I love how they were friends above all else.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, and Death of parent
bryelle's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Grief, and Vomit
Moderate: Child death, Death of parent, Stalking, and Death
salinafloye's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Pregnancy, Death, and Child death
victinerary's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶🌶🌶/4
If you've seen my previous reviews of this series you know I LOVE the Salacious Club and all of it's delightful and kinky owners & patrons. This book however, while still sexy, steamy, and full of cameos by some of our favorite other characters... this one was my lease favorite so far.
We've seen the ultra wealthy Ronan Kade around the club in the previous books, he's a sexy silver fox who loves the freedom of expression and desire a club like Salacious offers. Enter Daisy: a young new bartender / server with a secret. Sparks fly when Daisy loses a bet and ends up on the auction stage one night and Ronan is the Highest Bidder.
***Spoilers start here***
This is an age-gap romance (22 to 56), so at first glance both parties are a bit skeptical of their connection. But a connection they have, and it's electric and almost instantaneous when they get out of their own ways and give into their feelings. We get to explore a new sex club in Paris when they travel there for a spice filled holiday, and we see a give and take form in their relationship.
Ronan likes to give. He wants to provide safety, comfort, and especially pleasure. Daisy is a bit of a mess, still grieving the loss of her mother and unsure of her next steps, she thrives under Ronan's attentions and care. The dynamic between these two could easily be unequal, but it becomes clear that their feelings for each other override that the need from each other and Daisy sees through Ronan's walls. She understands that while he loves to take care of others, he also needs someone who wants to take care of him in return, and she wants to be that person.
And yet... when Daisy's secret is revealed it becomes clear that she's been so wrapped up in Ronan that she's avoided actually grieving her mother's death and is less than capable of taking care of herself, let alone being the one to take care of Ronan in return. This leads her to depend too much on Ronan, and he makes the hard decision to make her stand up on her own before he can give in to supporting her in other ways. It's a difficult choice, but inevitably one that needed to happen to ensure they end up on equal footing in the relationship.
**Doubling down on the spoilers here **
If that was the story arc, I would have been happier. Daisy does go off and finally get some therapy for her grief, she learns to take care of herself better, and is generally treating herself better. When she runs into Ronan a few months later, she's following her love of music and able to pay her own bills. She is finally on her own two feet. This could have been a good segue back into a relationship, he could have been there to support her musical dreams and they could have re-kindled the romance after they've both had some time to heal and grow as a couple.
BUT NO, instead... we get a pregnancy trope. In some ways it's exactly what Ronan needs. He tragically lost his first wife & son, and has been trying to fill a void ever since. He loves to provide love and care, and so giving him a family is the best gift Daisy could give him. But why that couldn't have happened willingly, with a discussion or a joint decision instead of a surprise... not my favorite way for that play out. I would have liked to see that decision happen in an epilogue after they were happy for a while and instead it was the thing that brought them back together.
It all ends up happily but at the same time, it had the feeling of Daisy giving up some of her dreams / not exploring her music enough at the expense of starting the family to be with Ronan. I think she ends up happy, but I wonder why it couldn't have been the both-and, instead of her gaining love at the expense of her own dreams.
**In Conclusion**
Did I enjoy this book? Yes. Was my favorite part all of the cameos of Madame Kink? Also yes. Am I waiting (im)patiently for her book next to make me fall in love with the Salacious crew once again? Also yes.
If you like age-gap romances with cinnamon roll daddy doms with pleasure kinks and bratty subs, this is for you. But if you like a little more independence from your FMCs, Daisy probably won't be your favorite.
**Note **
If you don't like large age gaps, daddy doms, or the pregnancy trope, there were very few refences to previous characters (other than Madame Kink) so this can most likely be skilled if you still want to read book 6.
🌶🌶🌶/4
If you've seen my previous reviews of this series you know I LOVE the Salacious Club and all of it's delightful and kinky owners & patrons. This book however, while still sexy, steamy, and full of cameos by some of our favorite other characters... this one was my lease favorite so far.
We've seen the ultra wealthy Ronan Kade around the club in the previous books, he's a sexy silver fox who loves the freedom of expression and desire a club like Salacious offers. Enter Daisy: a young new bartender / server with a secret. Sparks fly when Daisy loses a bet and ends up on the auction stage one night and Ronan is the Highest Bidder.
***Spoilers start here***
This is an age-gap romance (22 to 56), so at first glance both parties are a bit skeptical of their connection. But a connection they have, and it's electric and almost instantaneous when they get out of their own ways and give into their feelings. We get to explore a new sex club in Paris when they travel there for a spice filled holiday, and we see a give and take form in their relationship.
Ronan likes to give. He wants to provide safety, comfort, and especially pleasure. Daisy is a bit of a mess, still grieving the loss of her mother and unsure of her next steps, she thrives under Ronan's attentions and care. The dynamic between these two could easily be unequal, but it becomes clear that their feelings for each other override that the need from each other and Daisy sees through Ronan's walls. She understands that while he loves to take care of others, he also needs someone who wants to take care of him in return, and she wants to be that person.
And yet... when Daisy's secret is revealed it becomes clear that she's been so wrapped up in Ronan that she's avoided actually grieving her mother's death and is less than capable of taking care of herself, let alone being the one to take care of Ronan in return. This leads her to depend too much on Ronan, and he makes the hard decision to make her stand up on her own before he can give in to supporting her in other ways. It's a difficult choice, but inevitably one that needed to happen to ensure they end up on equal footing in the relationship.
**Doubling down on the spoilers here **
If that was the story arc, I would have been happier. Daisy does go off and finally get some therapy for her grief, she learns to take care of herself better, and is generally treating herself better. When she runs into Ronan a few months later, she's following her love of music and able to pay her own bills. She is finally on her own two feet. This could have been a good segue back into a relationship, he could have been there to support her musical dreams and they could have re-kindled the romance after they've both had some time to heal and grow as a couple.
BUT NO, instead... we get a pregnancy trope. In some ways it's exactly what Ronan needs. He tragically lost his first wife & son, and has been trying to fill a void ever since. He loves to provide love and care, and so giving him a family is the best gift Daisy could give him. But why that couldn't have happened willingly, with a discussion or a joint decision instead of a surprise... not my favorite way for that play out. I would have liked to see that decision happen in an epilogue after they were happy for a while and instead it was the thing that brought them back together.
It all ends up happily but at the same time, it had the feeling of Daisy giving up some of her dreams / not exploring her music enough at the expense of starting the family to be with Ronan. I think she ends up happy, but I wonder why it couldn't have been the both-and, instead of her gaining love at the expense of her own dreams.
**In Conclusion**
Did I enjoy this book? Yes. Was my favorite part all of the cameos of Madame Kink? Also yes. Am I waiting (im)patiently for her book next to make me fall in love with the Salacious crew once again? Also yes.
If you like age-gap romances with cinnamon roll daddy doms with pleasure kinks and bratty subs, this is for you. But if you like a little more independence from your FMCs, Daisy probably won't be your favorite.
**Note **
If you don't like large age gaps, daddy doms, or the pregnancy trope, there were very few refences to previous characters (other than Madame Kink) so this can most likely be skilled if you still want to read book 6.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Child death, Death of parent, and Death
Mention of death of wife & child due to car accident, mention of death of parent by cancer. All past events.midnightrose_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Highest Bidder is the fifth book in the Salacious Players Club series. It’s about the richest man that attends the club, 56 year old Ronan Kade, who we’ve met in previous installments. Daisy is a 21 year old drinks server at Salacious, who is more connected to Ronan than he knows. After he wins a date with Daisy (who lost a bet with her friend the bartender Geo to get up on the auction block) they begin an intense amount of time together with him inviting her to live with him in his penthouse, a trip to Paris, and him helping her discover her kinky side.
This is another winning addition in this series! Sara always infuses these books with emotion, big heart, and steam, and this one was no exception. Ronan and Daisy are two people with hidden grief, who find understanding with each other which was beautiful to read.
This is another winning addition in this series! Sara always infuses these books with emotion, big heart, and steam, and this one was no exception. Ronan and Daisy are two people with hidden grief, who find understanding with each other which was beautiful to read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Grief, Medical content, Death of parent, and Cursing
Moderate: Child death and Death
Minor: Child abuse