4.5 ⭐️
4 🌶️

This book is a second generation series that takes place 20 years after the events of Salacious Player’s club. I didn’t read the series and you don’t have to, because this book is the start of a new serie.

Jack St Claire and Camille Aubert are the main characters. He is a single dad and still mourns over the dead of his wife. He hires Camille as their live-in nanny for this daughter Bea. Bea is so cute, I adore her!

This book is spice over plot and at times the plot felt a bit off, but I can’t really say too much about that without giving spoilers.

”It suddenly dawns on me just how broken this poor family is. It’s daunting to think I’m here to help take care of her when what they truly need is so much more, far beyond my abilities” ”

The smut in this book is so good. I can’t stop thinking about it. The BDSM scenes are chefs kiss. And he calls her “good girl” 😌

Thanks Netgalley for letting me read this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this story. It wasn't too far fetched and the intensity of the "close proximity" trope was excellent. Once again Sara Cate has delivered a HEA romance with dark elements. I would hold this up to the flame of "Praise". Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book early!

The Good Girl Effect is likely to have you saying your please and thank you. It will leave you wanting more, but asking politely of course. This book hits all the right notes in the correct order. It's a complicated love story, but a love story nonetheless. The complexity of their relationship makes it all the more tangible. You can feel the tension, and quite honestly it feels as if you are an outsider interrupting their most intimate moments.

When Camille finds a long lost love letter from a Jack St. Claire in one of the books in the library she works in, she decides she must return it at once. A note full of so much hope and passion should be cherished. After doing some light research (internet stalking) she discovers it was addressed to his late wife. This further prompts her to make the trip into Paris to go return it. Upon arrival, she accidentally stumbles herself into an interview for the nanny position for his five year old daughter. Camille doesn't intend to take the job, but when Jack St. Claire shows up in her town, she sees no other option.

Jack is a reserved man. He is still struggling from the loss of his late wife, and is barely functioning as it is. He hasn't been a good father, friend, or person since his wife passed. Jack is one of six owners of a sex club in Paris. If only he and the other owners could be civilized enough to hold a single meeting without fighting. They agree to one year to get the club into shape before Jack can return home to California away from all the memories of his wife. When he finds himself inexplicably drawn to the new nanny he hired, he does everything he can to stay away. However as lines get crossed and ropes tied, he finds himself getting attached to Camille.

A huge thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!!

This is my second Sara Cate book and solidified me realizing I need to read the rest of her books - not only is she such a good writer, but her characters have so much depth, even with as many as her stories have!

Camille is doing her best to be happy - her roommate is annoying, but she loves her job at a used bookstore in her hometown. When she finds a letter a man wrote for his wife, she decides to channel some of her old spontaneity from before her father died and bring him the letter back. She never could have guessed this trip to Paris would completely change her life.

Jack St. Claire is having a rough time. He throws himself into work so he doesn't have to feel his way through his grief of losing his wife or how he feels he's failing his daughter. When his best friend hires Camille as his nanny, he has no idea how she'll make his life so much better.

A HOT story for sure 🔥

I dnfed this one - the writing just made the whole thing feel like a poorly written telenovela. I gave it a good 15% and just couldn’t do it any longer

I had been so excited for this book since it was announced and I am so glad I got to read it as an arc. Thanks to Netgalley.

The book follows Jack St. Claire, son of Eden, Clay and Jade if you have read Madame by Sara Cate you know, who is grieving the lose of his wife and has shut himself down from his family, work and even his 5 year old daughter Bea.

When Camille Aubert finds a letter Jack wrote for his wife, she decides to return the letter to Jack but ends you getting hired as a nanny to Bea.

Somehow Jack is coerced into giving Camille Shibari lessons as Camille is really nosey but also curious. Rules are broken as they can't stop gravitating towards each other.

There are emotional parts that did make me cry but I've loved every bit of this title.

A new generation to run the club that can be read without reading the previous series.

A lost letter, a misunderstanding, and an opportunity bring two strangers together..

Jack decided that he's giving the family one year to reconnect and build back up their legacy... the club.

Instead of leaving Paris he must now find a nanny to help with the daily care of his four year old. When a woman appears at his doorstep he assumes she's there for the job. What will happen when he finds out the real reason she knocked on his door.

Secrets, curiosity, desire, and temptation will unlock a world that forces Jack and Camille to face their past. In a world where trust is the difference between pain and pleasure Jack will face his past as he navigates what really matters most.

I can't wait to see what happens in the next installment.

While it seemed to have kind of a slow start for me, I did really like the book. I love how Sara Cate creates her characters and makes the story so good. I love this troupe.

I really loved the Sara Cate’s Salacious series and was so excited to see this next Gen series with all of their kids. That said, I did not enjoy this book. Jack is problematic af and is a bad father and boyfriend.
In the previous series, even when one person was in a sub role, they were still empowered and strong. Camille is a doormat who is discouraged from speaking and is kept as a dirty secret for a lot of the story. She has no real goals or ambition and other than being sexually curious, has to real say in what happens.
Jack gave me the ick so many times. After Camille told him her dead father called her his little bird, Jack started using it as an honorific in bed. He discouraged her from speaking because her accent reminded him of his dead wife, but then he goes on to say how well she knows him and that she’s “perfect for him” 🤢. Considering who Jack’s mother is, I’d expect better. And on top to all his red flag behaviour towards Camille, he’s also an absentee father. I hope book two redeems this series because at this point 3 stars feels generous.

As a faithful fan of SPC, this was a solid start to the next gen! I love the single dad- nanny trope and the characters relationship was developed with perfect pace. This will really deliver for SPC fans!!

I really enjoyed this one. I like stories of personal growth in stories. Spoilers* Could have done without the 3rd act breakup, especially since he just went basically no contact :( but that was my only real complaint.

3.5⭐️
This book was exactly what I needed in this moment. I really liked the character development of Jack (the MMC). I just wish the book was a little longer and we got more between the characters when they first met. I feel like the beginning was kind of rushed. But other than that, this book was so good!

2.5 ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley for this digital ARC. This just wasn’t really the book for me, and I’ve typically liked the author’s other titles as well as the troupes in the story. This one just didn’t do it for me or pull me in to really want to read this new series.

Great chemistry between the two leads. The writing is engaging and the tone hits the right spot between spicy and sweet. The supporting characters are also interesting. Overall a well written light read for the summer.

I absolutely adored this book. The romance is fully fledged, there is a great balance of romance/not for the genre, the characters are all (mostly) likeable. Sara Cate you did it again.

Such a fun read, I loved how we get to see Jack, the mmc become lighthearted and sweet again after loosing his ex-wife. I loved all the characters in this book and there growth was so fun to read about. The romance was perfect and they fit together perfectly. Would def recommend!

There’s an intensity between Camille and Jack that starts as a whisper. Soft, electric, full of tension, and slowly builds into something that hums beneath your skin. Like a storm approaching on a hot day, you don’t realize how much you’ve been holding your breath until it breaks.

Jack is grief personified. You see it in the clenched fists, the haunted stillness, the silence that stretches just a little too long. He’s broken in a way that doesn’t ask to be fixed, only witnessed. And Camille, in all her quiet goodness, does just that. She sees him. Holds space for his pain without needing to fill it.

What unfolded between them felt intimate in a way that’s hard to describe. Not loud. Not fast. But devastating in its slowness. In how much they both want, and how much they try to resist it.

While this book didn’t devastate me like the Salacious Players’ Club series did, it still left something aching in my chest. This is a different kind of story, softer, more restrained. Less about heat, more about healing. And honestly? That still matters.

Quote me if I’m wrong, but I think this was my first single dad romance, and it left me feeling tender and gutted in equal measure.

In The Good Girl Effect, we're introduced to Jack St. Claire, a man drowning in the aftermath of tragedy. A grieving single father, he's thrown himself into the demanding world of running a brand-new kink club in Paris, using work (and perhaps the inherent control of his lifestyle) as a fortress against his unbearable pain. His daughter's well-being is suffering, and in a desperate attempt to find stability, he needs a nanny – fast.
Camille Aubert, who wasn't looking for a job at all. Her only intention was to return a misplaced love letter. But through a delightful mix-up, she's mistaken for a job candidate and suddenly finds herself hired as Jack's live-in nanny. There's an undeniable pull, a sense that this unexpected twist of fate is exactly where she needs to be.
The chemistry between Jack and Camille is palpable from their first encounter, a simmering tension that only intensifies with their forced proximity. Camille quickly uncovers a mysterious room within Jack's apartment, hinting at a darker, more complex side to him that sparks her profound curiosity. The lines between professional and personal blur dangerously as she's drawn to the broken man who hides his grief in ropes and bondage. Camille isn't just a nanny; she becomes a catalyst, challenging Jack in ways he never thought possible, forcing him to confront the pain he's so carefully suppressed.
Overall, I highly recommend this book who enjoy contemporary romance that delves into complex character psychology, explores themes of grief and healing, and features compelling BDSM elements as part of the emotional journey.

Back to the world of SPC! I had such high hopes for this and although I wasn't disappointed I did want a little more from it.

I think overall it feels like an intro book, it sets up the new world well and introduces characters I'm excited to see more of. As usual I loved Sara Cate's writing and her ability to make me root for her characters emotional and sexual wellbeing.

I wish there was a little more insight into the development of Jack and Camille's relationship and can see where some of the intro/background on the new club/characters maybe was what took away from that. I don't think their relationship was lacking development because of that, but I do wish there were more moments between them we got to see in detail vs hear about from their narration.

Happy to be back in a Sara Cate world and can't wait for the rest of the series.

Book Review: The Good Girl Effect by Sara Cate
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sara Cate delivers another heart-melting romance in The Good Girl Effect, a perfect start to the spinoff of the Salacious Players Club series. This story follows Jack, a grieving single father, and Camille, the nanny who steps into his and his daughter Bea’s life—and into their hearts.
Cate masterfully blends emotional depth with kinky romance, while exploring love, healing, and second chances. Jack’s journey through grief and Camille’s gentle strength make their love story all the more compelling. The chemistry is undeniable, the tension is real, and the payoff is so satisfying.
I absolutely loved this book and couldn’t put it down. It’s tender, sexy, and full of heart—a must-read for fans of contemporary romance. I highly recommend it, especially if you're already a fan of the Salacious Players universe. The Good Girl Effect is a five-star read all the way.
Thank you to Sara Cate, Sourcebooks Casablanca, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.