A review by inkdrinkers
Highest Bidder by Sara Cate

emotional hopeful sad fast-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

"The number of years a person has lived seems like such a trivial detail when you find someone who lights a spark in your soul and makes life worth living again."

Daisy doesn't know where life is taking her after her mother dies - until she ends up in Briar Point, working at a sex club, trying to figure out if the man who visits it every night is the same one who's name is on a trust fund for her. She doesn't know why Ronan Kade gave her a million dollars, she only discovered it after her mother's death and no one else is on the account. But when she finds herself getting dangerously close to the billionaire and developing feelings, she realizes life might have led her to the man who always wanted to keep her safe.

Well, I finished this book and cried - openly wept - for like twenty minutes. That's where we're at. Does this book set itself up to be the kind of book to emotionally core you out like a watermelon? No, but it does and it does a damn good job at doing it. Once again Sara Cate decides to come out swinging with a story that is chock-full of intense topics that are navigated with such care and caution I want to thank her personally. The grief in this book is handled so well, even Daisy bringing up her mother had me bursting into tears multiple times. I found myself wanting her and Ronan to be happy against all odds and to remain that way forever.

That being said - this had me on the edge of my seat for OTHER reasons. Those reasons being I was a feral cat the entire time I read this. When I wasn't being brought to tears, I was gasping for air and looking for my phone for 911 because Ronan was sending me into sheer cardiac arrest. At one point I texted friends, "Bye I'm not sure I can handle this book. I'll be making poor decisions and googling sugar daddies near me" which... mood. I will just say, Ronan Kade puts Emerson Grant to shame and Sara Cate should feel proud she can make me gasp through tears and sheer pearl clutching. I'm not ready for Eden's book, I'll sob my way through that one too, but at this point, I'm giving Cate consent to hurt me because the pain feels so freaking good.

Content Warnings: Sexual content (daddy kink), Grief (heavily dealt with), Death of parent (recent past/flashbacks), Child death (past), Pregnancy (surprise/last 1/4), Cancer (in past, flashbacks), Car accident (in past)

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