Reviews

Mercy by Sara Cate

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mads_mincone's review

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adventurous emotional funny inspiring lighthearted tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

samharris21's review

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5.0

Probably my favorite series to date. I love how the story line flows and still uses characters from the books before it. I can not wait for the next in the series!!!

izzywiizzy's review against another edition

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emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Despite devouring the first three novels in the Salacious Players Club series, I'll admit I put off reading Mercy longer than I should have.
I just didn't know if the tropes appealed to me, and I didn't know if I could empathize with Beau as a protagonist after reading Emmerson and Charlie's story. But I couldn't be happier to be wrong.
If you're considering reading this as a standalone, skip this next paragraph. But if you are three books deep, anticipating your next SPC fix, and wondering how you could stand to read the pov of Charlie's bratty ex-boyfriend and Emmerson's entitled son, this is for you.
In true Sara Cate fashion Maggie and Beau's role kinks, femme dom and bratty sub, are perfectly mirrored and deeply ingrained in their characters. Maggie has a need for control; and a balanced urge to punish and nurture (something that hasn't come naturally in relationships with men her age). At the same time, Beau is young, needing structure and acceptance after growing up in a divorced home with warring ideas about sexuality and masculinity.
Neither experienced in kink, they learn and grow together. And when I say grow, I mean character development, like you wouldn't believe. This book became my unlikely favourite of the series published so far because I felt so personally connected to both of the main characters' experiences, being young and feeling lost, and being a woman struggling to balance her wants and needs with the societal expectations of women.
All of the above, and moments that threw me into fits of giggles and had me groaning and hiding behind my hand out of embarrassment. Of course, there was also spice, it was raunchy, and the chemistry outside of the bedroom, the forbidden romance essentials of pining and stolen touches, built the anticipation between the scenes perfectly.
This was an easy five-star read. Sara Cate made me fall madly in love, feel understood, blush, and then set me on fire. With heavy cameos from our favourite SPC characters, you have to read this book.

Tropes:
Femme Dom / Bratty Sub (M)
Forbidden Romance
Best Friend's Son
Found Family
Reverse Age Gap