4.5 stars! Not gonna lie, I really didn’t like either of these characters at the start of the book. But I believe in Sara Cate, so I didn’t let it deter me from reading this book. And to be fair, I listened to the audiobook, and Will Watt is one of my favorite Scottish narrators, and Kelli Tager did a fantastic job as well. And as anticipated, by this end, I absolutely was in love with this story, these characters are so perfect for each other, and I loved going on this journey with them.

The characters are flawed, and they are damaged and protecting themselves. Their emotional turmoil may stem from very different places, but they found a way to find each other through the mess of it all. And messy it was. Definitely a hate turned into love situation, and the circumstance surrounding their marriage of convenience were sketchy at best. But a little vulnerability goes a long way. Apparently so does a little hate s3x. I also appreciated that this wasn’t a cookie cutter or clean and easy way to address mental health issues. Killian is a severe case, and this wasn’t a “her love saved him” situation. And while, yes, she helped him find his direction, he still had to do the work. And Sylvie, with her own emotional baggage, is truly in no position to put herself out there as his savior, and she doesn’t really try, which I love. She’s there for him, he’s there for her, and in the end, it all comes together in a very real and beautiful way.

It’s a deeply emotional story with a lot of nuance and some intriguing roads traveled. The spectacular narration throws it to an even higher level, with depth and emotion that is visceral and wonderful. And, well, it’s Sara Cate, so you know the spice is spicing, and it is fantastic. 🌶🌶🌶🌶

I loved this one. It was filled with forced marriage with a scottish man... need I say more. I loved the audio book version of this one. The characters were so relatable, and I can't wait for more from this author.

Thank you Net Galley ARC

I listened to Keep Me by Sara Cate as an audiobook, and WOW—what an experience! 🎧🔥 The narrator’s accent was incredibly sexy, adding an irresistible layer to this already steamy romance. Every scene was brought to life with passion and intensity, making it impossible to hit pause.
This enemies-to-lovers story was executed perfectly. The tension between the characters was electric, and I found myself rooting for them at every turn. Their journey from clashing to finding their way to each other was full of heart, heat, and just the right amount of angst.
Sara Cate masterfully weaves a story that hooks you in and doesn’t let go until the very last word. If you’re a fan of steamy romance and well-done enemies-to-lovers tropes, Keep Me is a must-listen. Highly recommend!
Also, if you are aware of any brooding billionaire Scotsmen… Please comment 🥵❤️‍🔥
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/ 5

Great audiobook version of the book. The alternating points of view between Sylvie and Killian were well done. Listeners will definitely be a fan of Killian Scottish accent.

This was a perfect #booktok steamy romance. Just enough sexy scenes and intrigue. It follows a standard romance plot-enemies to lovers, betrayal because of a secret, healing a growing in absence, HEA. I would definitely recommend this to romance fans.

Scotland is a gorgeous country and is the perfect setting for a romance with a grumpy recluse in an old, ancestral manor house. Add in a spitfire american woman as his love interest and I was sold. While on the surface, this story is an arranged marriage, it is so much more once you dive into the pages. Both characters have secrets in their pasts and families that don’t support them well. Keep Me is both a love story and a necessary unraveling of these secrets so that the characters can get their HEA. In audio, this story was excellently narrated by Will Watt and Kelli Tager in dual narration, portraying the characters with immense passion and excellent accent work. The story was so hard to put down and I found myself ignoring everyone in my house to keep listening. This enemies to lovers, arranged marriage, opposites attract, billionaire romance was a masterful story and a fantastic audiobook.

I was invested in both characters right from the start. Sylvie was easy for me to love as her life knocked her down again and again. I just wanted her to get a break and that came in the form of grumpy Killian, a man with deep wounds and a family who didn’t understand his grief. Their love story slowly unfolds within the walls of Barclay Manor going from enemies to friends to lovers as their walls come down and they discover who the other person truly is behind bravado and grumpiness. Both of them start out a little lost and I love stories where characters grow on the page. While it’s not quite as spicy as Sara’s other titles, Keep Me has intense passion, steam, and her flair for a story that keeps readers on their toes. I loved how the story developed and came together in the end. I really hope this becomes a series.

The narration was spot on! Loved the accents! Was more "book" than I had anticipated. It was plenty spicy (always a good thing) but there was a story behind it. I loved every word and couldn't stop listening! Will be looking for more books by Sara Cate!

4.5 I loved it. This was quite the Beauty and the Beast retelling except instead of a monster, he's a big Scottish brute who hasn't left his manor in 10 years. His family is worried, but not so worried they aren't willing to strike a deal with some rude lady in need of money that broke into his house, that he can't stand in order to take his house away. Was this story without flaws? No, but did it keep me on the edge of my seat and have me begging for me more? Absolutely.

Thank you to @Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC for an honest review. You can buy it at your local book store anywhere at this point. And the audible is even better.

5⭐️ 3.5🌶️

“My wife comes first”

And come first she did. Where the definition of “selfish” is concerned, Killian Barclay is so far away from it. This book is everything I needed it to be and then some. What a great fucking time I had.

All I want now is a broody man in a kilt, with a beard, a thick accent and a hunger for me so insatiable I’m the only thing he wants to eat.

OMFG ALL THE “MY WIFE” IN THIS WAS MY ENDING KAHAUSHEIWJSJWB. The chemistry was palpable from the very start. There’s no need for a meeting cute when you can meet someone the way Killian and Sylvie met. Sylvie is a pure baddie and Killian matched her energy every single second. Talk about enemies to lovers and you’ll find a picture of these two on the page. It was a little mean and a lot horny and the match of it all was such a perfect combination, it had my knees weak.

It was impossible to put down… specially when listening to the audiobook and the delicious accents the narrators did 🥵

Sara baby, you continue to rule my life 😮‍💨

My face lived in this tearful distress the whole book. I constantly went from laughing from the banter to smiling from the love Killian and Sylvie battled so hard not to feel with each other. It was so beautiful to see how their feelings inched their ways into each other’s hearts. Tear threatened my eye to watch each of them as they dealt with the struggles in their lives at the same time as their incoming feelings for each other. Killian strong but yet damaged from his past is the Scottish Brute that won my heart. Sylvie strong, Independent, and fierce still struggles with her family and the feelings associated with them. This story was phenomenal and the accents were perfection. Narrators Will Watt and Kelli Tager did an amazing job with this audio and it was their narration combined with Sara Cate word that brought all the emotions to the surface.

Audiobook: Every time I dive into Sara Cate book, I am honestly never disappoint. Keep Me, book 1 in the Sinful Manor series, follows Scottish recluse Killian Barclay and American Sylvie Devereaux. Sylvie sneaks into Killian's Scottish manor to try to find a very old typewriter of an ex boyfriend's family member used. After being caught by Killian, Sylvie goes back home to America. Fast forward a few months, Killian's sister finds Sylvie in NY and offers her a contract for marriage with Killian to help both of them. Sylvie gets much needed money & Killian gets to clean up his public image. But after needing to stay married for 1 year, the tension, the banter, everything comes to a head and explodes. Seeing different sides to the surface, Sylvie & Killian start to realize the age old, don't judge a book by its cover. Plus Sylvie is hiding a huge secret in regards to the contract that will devastate Killian. My heart and ears of hearing Will Watt preforming the Scottish accent as Killian and Kelli Tager as Sylvie fulfilled my soul. Sara continues to wrote in-depth characters and storylines. I'm so excited to continue the series & see what happens with Killian's siblings.

5/5⭐️ 3/5🌶️ 4/5🎧
When I go long periods of time without reading or listening to a Sara Cate book, I forget just how much I love her writing and enjoy her stories. Keep Me was hilarious, sexy, sad, and so so satisfying. The banter between Sylvie and Killian was so freaking funny. The names they called each other had me howling. Top tier banter. It was perfectly paced for the storyline and gave me all the feels. Sara knocked it out of the park with this one.

The dual narration with Kelli Tager and Will Watt was amazing. Loved their Scottish accents. It made spicy scenes so much more erotic.

Okay but I didn’t know I needed this book?!? My gosh Killian is SO fine. I adored their hate for each other, the tension, the spiceeeee, these two were just so dang good.

I listened on audio and it was spectacular! So dang good!

Tropes:
Marriage of convenience
Grumpy x grumpy
Age gap
Enemies to lovers
Forced proximity

This was not a vibe...

I had such high hopes being Sara Cate, and I loved her SPC series.

I froth a fake marriage trope, and I was looking forward to seeing Sara's take on this but this has none of the tension and forced proximity you would want with this trope. The MMC calls the FMC so many insults (and not in a sexy way) including a 'fat ugly cow' on multiple occasions.

This was billed as a Scottish romance, and despite the MMC being Scottish it ever actually delivered on that either, there was no cultural things I would have oved to see.

For the narration; my family is Scottish so maybe I have high standards... but I really wish they'd cast someone that did a better job of the accents for the FMC.... the male narrator did a better job though. It's a pity, as both actors seemed like really great actors in every other aspect.

Keep Me is a spicy, enemies-to-lovers romance between a Scottish brute and a quick-witted New York woman. Kelli Tager and Will Watt wonderfully portray these characters in this dual pov narration giving listeners emotion, spice, and tension. I think these two narrators brought these characters to life in a way that felt truthful to the story. They did Sara Cate's writing justice!

Now, I was surprised at how emotional I was while listening to the story. I know Sara Cate is known for steamy and spicy scenes, but I was not expecting to feel so connected to these characters and the emotions they are going through. This book features marriage of convenience and enemies to lovers and I enjoyed it. Killian is so broody and so vulnerable, even though he likes to keep to himself in his huge family manor. Sylvie is dealing with the effects of being cut off financially from her parents and we also see how her parent's lack of compassion has affected her through the years. Without even knowing, Sylvie and Killian needed each other and I believe they found each other at the right time.

There are secrets, a fake marriage, and heartwarming moments. This book has it all and even more!

I think maybe this smut book was not for me. Am I a prude? Yes. Do I have some smut I love? Also yes. This is not it. This is far too fifty shades of gray for me. I am more of a "girl talks to dragons and also sleeps with the king" type. Or something.

The narrator did a good job though! I am proud. I will definately listen to the narrator again.
I hope this negative review does not hurt the author. It is not meant to be negative. My review is just a reflection of me and my prudishness.

DNF. This book just isn't for me. The narrator did a good job but the story itself was just not to my taste. If you're into the way romance from 10 years ago was written you'll probably like this since it has similar vibes to 50 Shades and Beautiful Bastard, but I don't care for that and just found the entire premise and characters to be off.

Keep Me has an absolutely absurd premise but is such a fun read!

Killian is a broody Scottish recluse and Sylvie is a tough woman with a snarky attitude. Killian's sister approaches Sylvie with a proposal - marry Killian for a year so the family can reclaim the family home and she'll be paid 10 million dollars.

This book is such a riot, but I loved it. Crazy antics, dreamy Scottish brute, Beauty and the Beast vibes, swinger parties, banter, and family drama!

Tropes:
* Marriage of convenience
* Forced Proximity
* Exhibitionism
* Age gap
* Size difference
* Dislike to lovers

4.5 stars

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.

Keep Me- Sara Cate
Narrated by Kelli Tager and Will Watt

Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Narration 🎧🎧🎧🎧

Sara Cate has done it again with another spectacular and spicy book! 😏 was I expecting this to be a romcom going in? No, but I found myself cracking up at Sylvie’s antics and her and Killian’s banter. Did I expect to be emotionally distraught by this book? Also no, but ugh the emotions were pulling on my heartstrings. Between Sylvie’s abandonment issues and Killian’s own guilt, there was a lot more emotional damage in this one than I was expecting. Overall, I absolutely loved it and wish I could read it again for the first time all over again.

Kelli and Will did absolutely magnificent on this one. I think they’re made an incredible Sylvie and Killian. I do think this particular audio would have been just 🤏🏻 that much better if it was in duet rather than dual, but like I said, I loved it and it’s still an incredible audiobook.