This book was quite and adventure. Spiciness aside, it has some real life topics that really hit home. Grief and loss, abandoning oneself, changing your own path, and learning to be ok. Deep topics. I appreciated the positive mental health aspect of it. And of course all the spicy, that makes it all go by easier. Recommend. Would like to read other books in series.

A Salacious Players Club Sequel Sign me up!

I received a free copy of The Good Girl Effect by Sara Cate from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

NO SPOILERS!

Camille finds a romantic letter in the bookstore she works at. Upon investigating she discovers it’s from a man who lost his wife years ago. She tries to return the letter but is mistaken for a nanny applicant. She’s picked to be the nanny of the man’s adorable little girl and slowly heals the family.

Tropes Include: Employer/Nanny, Paris Sex Club, Bondage, Forced Proximity, Found Family, and Death/Trauma

While I enjoyed Sara’s last book, Keep Me, I did feel like it was missing something. The story was good but the characters felt hollow. The Good Girl Effect brings back the excitement I had while reading the Salacious Players Club which is Sara’s best work in my opinion. I love the characters and I was excited to dive back into this world. This time we are in Paris at a similar sex club. I won’t reveal the details, but there are connections to the main Salacious Players Club cast.

Jack is a tragic figure and I felt deeply what he was going through.

Camille is a curious hopeless romantic with a big heart.

Bea was adorable!

I loved these characters and the story. It was a quick and easy read. Although sad at times the spice more than made up for it.

If you loved the Salacious Players Club you won’t be disappointed with this new series. I look forward to reading more!

While it did give some 50 Shades-est feel to the newness of the Dom/Sub interaction, I was able to look past that and enjoyed the story. This was the second “nanny turned spouse” type book I have read and I found I enjoyed the journey. I haven’t read the original book series and don’t feel like I missed was confused at any point, so definitely try it even if you haven’t read the Salacious Players’ Club books. I really liked the story line and the development of the characters.

Need a little kink in your life. The Good Girl Effect is for you. This age old story of a single father and a nanny but add in passion and a secret room. This will leave you breathless and wanting more.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of The Good Girl Effect by Sara Cate.
I have only read one other book by Sara and that was Keep Me, which I absolutely adored. When I had an opportunity to snag an early copy of this one, I was so stoked. The GGE is the first book in the Salacious Legacy series and follows a grieving widower, Jack, who finally decides to hire a nanny for his daughter. Enter Camille who shows up at his apartment for a completely different reason, accidentally interviews for the nanny position and gets hired. As Camille starts to break through the wall that Jack has built around his feelings after losing his wife two years ago, you just know that things are about to get a bit spicy. I loved these two main characters so much and just adored Beatrice. I cannot wait until the next book is available. Until then, I will need to read The Salacious Players Club series, to see how it all began.

Five hot chili peppers for this one, forget the stars! Very spicy, which I like every once in a while, but I have to personally say it bugged me a little bit

It’s just the whole submissive woman thing, and I know that she wasn’t that way in her whole life, but it’s just not something I understand so I struggled with that portion of the story, but if you like sexy books, where the nanny fall in love with the Single dad, this one’s for you!

I was excited when I heard Sara Cate’ was writing the Salacious Legacy series. I was a big fan of the original Salacious Player's Club books and I feel like she's off to a solid start with this one. In this installment we have Jack, a widowed single dad, and Camille, his bold new nanny. The MMC and FMC have good chemistry and lots of emotional depth. The story does a job of balancing the characters journey through grief and healing with the spicy aspects one would expect from a Salacious book. I am excited to see where this series goes next. Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the ARC.

We learn about Eden's son Jack in this one! The single dad, nanny trope gets me every single time! I loved this book.

You learn a really important lesson in this book, how hard it is to grieve the loss someone so important in your lift and how to come back from it!

Jacks character growth in this book is amazing. It takes him some time but he learns how to cope and how to love again. The whole story line was catching, and you just kept wanting to keep reading. There is so much TENSION in this book! If it was real, you could cut it, it's so much lol I did like how Bea was apart of the whole story, also, she was a main character, not just some kid in the background like a lot of single dad/nanny books make them out to be. The love for Bea was very clear in this book.

The Shibari in this was so good, it was so fun to see Jack teach and Camille learning.

Thank you Net Galley for this ARC!

The Good Girl Effect by Sara Cate is a captivating blend of romance, suspense, and kink that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. The story follows Camille Aubert, a woman unexpectedly hired as a live-in nanny for Jack St. Claire, a grieving single father who has built a fortress around his heart. As Camille discovers more about Jack's mysterious and dark side, the lines between their professional and personal lives blur, leading to undeniable attraction. The dynamic between them is intense, complicated by Jack's unresolved grief and Camille's growing feelings. The mix of heartache, trust, and forbidden desire creates an unforgettable narrative. Fans of steamy romance with an emotional core will be hooked from start to finish.

Perfect for readers looking for a story that pushes boundaries, yet delivers a deep emotional journey of healing and love.

The Good Girl Effect follows Camille who stumbles into a nanny position under the grumpy yet sexy Jack St. Clair. While you could read this as a standalone, it picks up after the Salacious Player's Club series as Jack is the son of Eden St. Clair. For those who have read the Salacious Player's Club, this book harkens back to the first book in that series, Praise with employer/employee romance. For readers that like found family, a man that faces his demons, bondage, and spicy grumpy/sunshine romances.

I expected more but it was still a solidread.
I still think the other books of here were better but this one has like another feeling

Knocked it out of the park again! Absolutely loved this book and so glad to be back in the salacious players club world! Let the book hangover commence!

I have been waiting so long for this book as a huge fan of the SPC series. I absolutely cannot understate how much raw emotion Sara Cate puts in her stories and her characters, and this book was no different. The spice was also on par with what you would expect from Sara, 3-4 chili peppers out of 5! Jack’s grief made things between them very hot and cold sometimes, but that is to be expected when someone is still processing loss. Camille is exactly what Jack needed and needs, and her personality complements Jack’s seriousness. I also love loved all the SPC cameos, this book is a great first follow-up to the original series

Look, the tension building is good, but this book needs an editor. The spice might be great, but egads, I need more cohesion.

I need to learn to pay more attention when I request an ARC, I had no idea this was a legacy series until I started reading, but I am not upset about it. I fell in love with this cast of characters and am planning on going back and reading the original series because what I saw of those characters was intriguing.
The last thing Jack wants is a nanny, but his daughter’s needs come first, especially since he is more ghost that father these days. When a case of mistaken identity lands Camille the chance of a lifetime, she would be crazy not to take it, but it may turn out to be a lot more than she bargained for.
This single dad/nanny, grumpy/sunshine, bondage lite novel was a great read. I had all the emotions while reading and couldn’t put it down. I found myself rooting for the characters and the ending made me so happy, even thought I am not a big fan of the third act breakups.

"The Good Girl Effect" by Sara Cate is a contemporary steamy romance in a new series, “Salacious Legacy”. This new series is related to “Salacious Player’s Club”, it can be read without prior series knowledge.

The story takes place in France and centers around Camille Aubert and Jack St. Claire. Jack is a grieving widow and father. Camille lost her father 2 years prior and feels stuck in her life. While working in a used bookstore in her hometown, Camille comes across an old love letter and photo of an attractive and happy couple – Emmaline and Jack. Camille becomes enamored by this couple and discovers that Emmaline had also passed away 2 years ago. She decides that Jack would want this memory back and heads off to Paris to see if Jack still lives at the address from the letter. Upon arriving to Jack’s estate, she gets mistaken for an interviewee for the nanny position for Jack’s young daughter. Camille can’t bring herself to turn down the opportunity to interview and comes to realize that she does actually wish to become the girl’s nanny. Camille, now Bea’s nanny, becomes increasingly fascinated with handsome Jack. She can’t help her curiosity and it finds her in tense situations with Jack.

The story is told from the perspectives of Jack and Camille. The TENSION in this book is palpable. The back and forth, the letters between them, emotional rollercoaster from Jack.. everything is great. Jack is still grieving and feels love is out of his reach but he can’t seem to stay away from Camille. The story discusses his feelings on his grief and healing, how it’s affected those around him, while also blurring the lines on a “forbidden” romance. Very steamy – praise kink and BDSM included.

I’ve previously read “Keep Me” by Sara Cate and really enjoyed it so was excited to see a new book by them. I’ve come to realize my favorite troupe is forced proximity and this did not disappoint.

I don't think this is one of Cate's better books, but it was still decent. Our library has a large readership for her books, so we will definitely purchase it.

Having LOVED the Salacious Players Club series, I was so excited to receive this ARC, and Sara Cate did not disappoint!

The Good Girl Effect is an age-gap, boss/assistant romance with a grieving single father/grumpy & brooding MMC, a bold and unapologetic FMC, and of course, an exploration of kink. Sara Cate has a real talent for building sexual tension, writing steamy, consent-focused kink scenes, and throughout all of this weaving in real romantic and tender emotions. All in all, I loved this book and would highly recommend it, especially for fans of her Salacious Players Club series.

Thank you to Netgalley, Sara Cate, and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I LOVED the Salacious Players Club so when I saw this title on NetGalley I prayed that I would get a chance to read it! While it did give off Praise (Salacious book 1) vibes, I was pleased with the story progression and the character development.

I enjoyed the set up for the romance with the FMC finding a memento of the MMC and his late wife's relationship and I really enjoyed the dynamic between the FMC and the MMC's daughter. I hope to see more of them in future books in this new series

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing me with an ARC.

This book was a fun and flirty read! The build-up to the steamy scenes was definitely worth it, especially with the Parisian setting. It kicks off the series with a bang!

"The Good Girl Effect" is an engaging start to the Salacious Players’ Legacy series. It follows Eden’s son in Paris, a year after losing his young wife, as he seeks care for their 5-year-old daughter, Bea. Camille, who is hired as the nanny, brings a delightful twist to the classic single-dad/nanny trope.

The male lead is brooding and mysterious, with a redeemable soft heart hidden beneath his grumpy exterior. The female lead is bold, outrageous, and unapologetically herself—I loved her for it. Messy, real, and strong, she brings out the best in him. Their chemistry is electric, and their banter is pure gold, giving off total power couple vibes.

As with other works by Sara Cate, you can expect a mix of heat and tension. Be sure to check the content warnings before diving in. If you’re a fan of this author, you’re likely to enjoy this story and be eager for the next installment!

What I loved was how the author touched lightly on the previous series Salacious Club.