I really don't know how I feel about this book.
I had to sit down with my thoughts before writing this review, and I'm still not sure if this book was good or bad.

First off, I'm extremely grateful to have received an ARC, but in all transparency, I genuinely think that the only reason I ended up not DNFing this book was because it was an ARC. Reading it felt like a rollercoaster for how much I liked it and then disliked it. However, I did finish it, and while some parts were flat, others were good and I even ended up crying at the end.

Overall, I think this book just wasn't for me. I found both main characters forgettable and I just didn't care for the plot that much the more it unfolded.

Thank you Sara for the ARC.

A hot, broody Scottish man with a desire for all things kinky... yeah, I'm sold!

Killian is definitely an a**hole, but I liked that Syliva stood her ground and pushed back against his attitude.

The parties were a fun surprise that gave us a lot of spicy moments.

Their reasoning for getting together for the marriage of convenience is a bit unrealistic and far fetched but I like that in my fiction.

This book was such an amazing read! Sara’s books always get me out of a reading slump and also has reinforce me on me still needing to visit Scotland.

I love how chaotic Sylvie is and she can be a force of nature.
Killian on the other hand, he’s a bit broody and has some stuff going on.

Loved this book so much and can’t wait to see what’s next for this series!

Overall Ratings:
5/5 🌟♾️

I loved this book. It was strong from the begging not in a insta love way but just the angst and storyline. You felt for both and when they finally collide it was great. There was a lot of good banter between them and couldn't put the book down.

Love Sara Cate and love this new book! Characters are great, plot was promising and intriguing and the romance was hot! So excited for the rest of this new series- it’s a keeper! 😂

When two grumpy, unstable people meet...under dubious circumstances, and fall in love. This book is for lovers of grumpy men with sexy accents, Scotland, and a love that overcomes. Definitely recommend!

Thanky you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for a digital ARC!

Overall, my rating of this book is 3.5 out of 5 stars for both the story and audiobook narration. It's not my favorite Sara Cate book, if I'm being honest, it's probably my least favorite so far. I do plan to read the other Sinful Manor books because I'm interested to see how the other characters' storylines play out in their respective novels, but I hope it's not grump vs grump again (like this storyline). I did enjoy that the POVs switched regularly within the different sections of the book! As with all the other Sara Cate books I’ve read, this one was very easy to read and moved along at a good pace.

Tropes:
* Scottish Billionaire
* Marriage of Convenience
* Enemies to Lovers
* Emotional Trauma
* Dual POV
* Grumpy X Grumpy

Honestly, Sylvie was super annoying for over 50% of the book. She’s in her mid-20s and is still living off her parents, but mad at the parents' assistant who works for them? At least she had a job… I understand wanting to follow your passions, but as someone who’s worked since I was 16 and held down two part-time jobs at the same time during college while pursuing a full-time degree, I don’t have much sympathy for Sylvie at the beginning of the book. The assistant probably doesn’t want to be in that position her entire career, or even if she does, of course, she’s going to do what Sylvie’s parents instruct her to do since she works for them. Sylie is so self-centered and whiny, it’s honestly frustrating as a reader to have to listen to this narrative sometimes. Maybe I’m just projecting my own experiences onto the character, but it is frustrating for me. Sylvie finally did experience some character growth, but not as much as I would've hoped for her.

Another thing I didn't like was that the female narrator’s (Kelli Tager) Scottish accent was also not the best and felt very fake. She also placed odd emphasis on the verbal narrative when I wouldn’t expect her to do so. She is probably my least favorite narrator that Sara has chosen so far for any of her books.

The male narrator (Will Watt) did a much better job overall than the female narrator in covering both characters' sections of the book. The spice was good, once it started happening (around 50% into the story). I did enjoy the setting of the book - an old manor in the countryside.

This one just wasn’t for me. I think this series is trying to be erotica but doesn’t quite land. Sort of trying to be salacious just to be salacious.

Amazing read! Enjoyed every minute of their adventures:) Sara Cate always finds a way to make me love all of her characters and these two are no different.

• ARC Review •

Keep Me by Sara Cate

• Overall Ratings •
⭐️: 4.75/5
🌶️: 3/5

• About the Book •
✿ POV: dual
✿ Couple: Killian & Sylvie
✿ Romance speed: slow
✿ 3rd Act Breakup: yes
✿ Tropes: marriage of convenience, age gap, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, grumpy/grumpy
✿ Trigger warnings: yes

• Thoughts •
The way I loved this book! It was apparently just what I needed because I devoured it one sitting. Killian and Sylvie are both lost in life. Killian can’t get out of his grief, and Sylvie just can’t seem to catch a break. Which somehow makes these two the perfect match. I absolutely loved these two, and how fighting was their love language. You could tell that every time these two fought it would finally spark some life into them until they couldn’t deny that they had something real. This is definitely one of my favorite Sara Cate books, hands down!

Keep me by Sara Cate is the first book in the Sinful Manner Series. Some of my favorite tropes are represented. Enemies to lovers fake marriage and age gap. Add in the fact that the MMC is a Scottish brute, and I am swooning.
I loved Killian and Sylvie so much. Their marriage starts as a contractual agreement. It will get Sylvie financial security and Killian is under the belief that it will allow him to stay in his home where he can continue his peaceful, sometimes quiet life.
As they learn to live together we really see how what they actually need from each other is so much more than what they think.

Sara has an incredible way of making the characters vulnerabilities and feelings so authentic. I truly am invested in all of her characters. Killian and Sylvie stole my heart.

A marriage of convenience between a broody Scot & an uptight New Yorker? Perfect!

I really loved these characters, they were so much fun.

THE TENSION!!! 🔥

“I’m in this for me. Which means over the next twelve months, I’m about to become this man’s worst nightmare.”

The spice! 🥵

“Go ahead, darling. Call me a name now. While you’re mewling like a goddamn cat in heat.”

Whilst this was very much a Sara Cate book, there was something that felt new & refreshing too. I devoured this book. I loved this & I’m excited to what the Sinful Manor series shares with us next. That being said, I’d love to read more of Sylvie & Killian.

Who would say no to marrying a Scottish man who lives in a manor? Not me, I would have said yes without the money. Keep me was a very fast paced love story. Killian and Sylvie do not start on good terms though it’s a very much hate to love arranged marriage. But as time passes they both do what they said they weren’t going to do…have feelings for each-other. I enjoyed Keep Me and like everything I read by Sara Cate it was written beautifully.

this was different than any other sara cate book i’ve read and it was so freaking good!! sara cate never fails to write a book that’ll hook you from the first page and have you reading nonstop until you finish it. this book was an absolute blast and the dislike to lovers meets forced proximity made this couples dynamic so fun!!

“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

Keep Me by Sara Cate is a new adult contemporary romance between a Scottish brute and a spoiled bratty American girl.

Sara Cate is an auto-buy and auto-read author for me. I love her writing, stories, and the emotions she sparks whenever I read one of her books. Keep Me was a different style than Sara Cate's usual. I love that she wrote something special to her and could creatively write something so unapologetically her.

The writing was fantastic. I liked the plot, the arranged marriage, and the dislike-to-love trope. I thought it was a good time. Who doesn't love a guy with a Scottish accent and a little bit of damage? I gave it 4 stars because while it was a good read, some parts of the story didn't keep me interested like her other books. I understand she took a different turn with this book. However, it was cute, spicy, and had good character growth. The downside for me was that the FMC was a little annoying, and I couldn't look over it, even when her character grew over time.


Rating: 4/5 Stars
Spice: 3/5
Tropes: Arranged Marriage, Scottish brute, dislike to lovers, light OW drama, past trauma.

I received an ARC for Keep Me. These thoughts and opinions are all my own.

4 ⭐️ 3 🌶️ 5🎧

I really liked this book a lot and was pleasantly surprised with how much the characters grew and changed throughout the story! It didn’t feel like a Sara Cate book, but it was definitely a top fav of hers besides Praise and GMM.

Killian and Sylvie enter a marriage of convenience and neither of them want to be in it. Sylvie has a secret she’s keeping from Killian and the tension and hate between these two is palpable. Killian is this angry Scottish asshole that just wants to be left alone in his big mansion. The enemies to lovers trope is strong in this book, but I was here for the angry sex and explosive tension. The smut was fantastic and it didn’t disappoint. I loved the story between them and seeing their past traumas really broke my heart. The ending was wonderful and I loved seeing them both heal and work through the issues they had.

A bit of a spoiler -I didn’t realize I would be triggered by a word, but in this book he calls her a cow a lot in the beginning when they hate each other. I wasn’t sure if it’s a Scottish insult, but after some research I found out it is lol.. In general I disliked that he called her that even if it wasn’t in reference to her body or anything -it took me out of the story a lot.

The audio was fantastic and I really thought Kelly and Will did a great job bringing the story to life with their narration.

Killian and Sylvie are almost too hot to handle in this amazing standalone, grumpy x grumpy, marriage of convenience story by Sara Cate. Oh, and did I mention that Killian is a big, burly, sour Scottsman??? Sign me UP!!

Yes, Killian Barclay is the strong, grumpy Scottsman who has a lot of baggage to unpack, but chooses other methods to drown out his demons. Enter Sylvie- the grumpy American girl- daughter of parents who couldn’t seem to care less about her. She’s looking for a way out- a way to get away from everyone and everything and start over- so sure, why not enter into a contract to marry this sexy, Scottish stranger? I mean, the benefit of receiving $10 million for just staying married to Killian for a year? What could go wrong? Did I mention that she had run into him one time….when she broke into his house and his brutish self found her, and let her know- in so many words- that she was NOT welcome.

Sylvie has plenty of demons of her own to work out as well. Neither Killian, nor Sylvie, are looking for anything serious…. Despite being married. Trouble is- what happens when you realize that you’re more alike than you first guessed? And when that other person seems to “get you” and make you feel human again? That contract is seeming less and less fantastic.

The scars in this story run deep, but Killian and Sylvie give each other a run for the money. By the end, I had tears and was rooting for them to find their HEA. Do they find it or do the twists and turns prove too much?? Read now to find out!! HIGHLY recommend!!

It's like if Emerson Grant was a bit meaner and suddenly Scottish.

Tropes -
- enemies to lovers
- marriage of convenience
- Grumpy x grumpy

Who loves a marriage of convenience to a rich grumpy Scotsman to get him to move out of his manor in exchange for $10 million?

Me! Thats who, and I. ATE. THIS. UP.

The chemistry between Killian and Sylvie is straight fire, you might actually get burned. And I don’t expect nothing less from Sara Cate. Their banter and name calling is hilarious, this book had my gasping and swooning at the same time.

Sara Cate can do no wrong! Loved this book, it hooked me from the beginning. As always her spice is impeccable and you feel a real connection with the characters.