Praise by Sara Cate Series: Salacious Players Club #1
on February 4, 2022
Genres: Romance / Erotica / BDSM
Pages: 362
Format: Digital
Goodreads
He calls me perfect.
His flawless pet.
His good girl.
Broken down, and wounded by my emotionally neglectful ex, I wanted someone to tell me I was good enough.
Then, I stumbled into a new job with a boss who brought me to my knees - literally. He has me do things a real secretary would never do.
Emerson Grant tells me I'm more than just good enough. I'm worthy of his praise.
There are a million reasons why I should stay away. The owner of the Salacious Players' Club is not just my new boss - he's twice my age.
And my ex-boyfriend's father....
With him, I am treasured. I am adored. I am his.
I'm a good girl, but I'm falling for the wrong man.
Emerson Grant knows what he wants - and he wants me.
So, how far will I go to hear his approval?
This book has been all over the book internet spaces this year. And honestly, for good reasons. This includes popular tropes for a more taboo and erotic romance, and it all worked for me. Knowing each book in this series follows a different member of this group of friends who start a sex club, I was definitely intrigued enough to check out the first in this series by Sara Cate. And what a way to start: with the ex-boyfriend’s dad trope.
TROPES
Age gap, ex-boyfriend’s dad, dom/sub.
CONTENT WARNINGS
Emotional abuse, sexual content, BDSM.
WHAT WORKED FOR ME
Tropes. These are all tropes that I’ve read a few of over the course of the last year or so, and they all are ones I enjoy. When the younger person in the age gap is in their early to mid 20s, it works better for me. And this does that! When an ex-boyfriends dad trope lands, it certainly lands. Emerson really fought to not catch feelings, and he had to navigate wanting Charlie and wanting to have a relationship with his son.
Conflict. This goes with what I already mentioned with Emerson having to navigate a few things. Conversely, Charlie had to come to terms with and begin to understand what she was wanting sexually from Emerson. There are some additional conflicts later in the book that worked for me and didn’t feel like they were thrown in because the author felt like it (not mentioning due to wanting to avoid spoilers).
Safe spaces. One thing I tend to love in books that are surrounding a BDSM club is how they are specifically built to be safe havens for exploration and trying new things. Sara Cate really emphasizes consent in this book, and that’s exactly what I want to be reading in this type of romance. Charlie was given this safe space to understand her wants and desires better. Watching her come into her own and be able to ask for what she wants showed her growth throughout the book.
WHAT DIDN’T WORK FOR ME
Emerson’s point of view. My favorite way to read romance books is dual point of view (POV). I want both perspectives to see that mutual pining and better understand each character better throughout the story. Unfortunately, I didn’t felt that we really got enough of Emerson’s perspective. For the very beginning of this book to be surrounding him and his friends, it felt lack luster that it wasn’t more focused on his thoughts and inner monologue. Instead, we were mostly in Charlie’s head. Which, while I enjoyed her perspective, caused this book to be missing that something that makes it a favorite.
SPICE RATING
5 chili peppers for sure. Given the setting and sexual exploration via safe, trusted spaces, this is definitely an erotic romance.
FINAL THOUGHTS
A solid 4 stars and an author that I will continue to read in the series. I love the setting and can’t wait to see how the other friends play into the club and what taboo topics will be covered.
