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A review by victinerary
Highest Bidder by Sara Cate
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.