• Home
  • About
  • Policies
    • Privacy Policy
    • Copyright
    • Disclosure Policy
    • Republication Policy
    • Review Policy
  • Reviews
    • Sortable Archive
    • Reviews by Author
    • Reviews by Narrator
    • Reviews by SubGenre
    • Reviews by Series
    • Reviews by Year
  • Challenges
    • 2024 FINISHING THE SERIES READING CHALLENGE (Archived)
    • In Death Read-A-Long Challenge
  • Giveaways
  • Author Interviews & Guest Posts

A Book Lovin' Mama's Blog

Review: ‘Keep Me’ by Sara Cate

December 19, 2024

Review: 'Keep Me' by Sara Cate

Review: ‘Keep Me’ by Sara Cate

Keep Me

by Sara Cate
Series: Sinful Manor #1
Published by Sourcebooks Casablanca on December 3, 2024
SubGenres: Contemporary Romance
Format: eBook
Pages: 336
Source: Library - Libby
Audience: 18+/Adult
Add to Goodreads
Purchase at Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo
four-stars

Their marriage of convenience is anything but…
All Killian Barclay wants is to be left the hell alone. He's had enough heartache to last a lifetime, and he has no more need for love—earning him the reputation of a broody Scot and eventually turning his famous ancestral home into a den of iniquity. It doesn't take long for tales of his raunchy house parties to reach the rest of his family, though, inspiring them to hatch a plan to shake Killian out of his routine.
New Yorker Sylvie Devereaux is tough as nails—as the daughter of famous yet neglectful parents, she's grown a hard shell and keeps everyone at arm's length. So when she sneaks into Barclay Manor during a trip to Scotland to get a glimpse of a famous heirloom, she doesn't anticipate facing off against the brutish, maddening Highlander who lives there. And she certainly didn't expect to ever see the bastard again.
Yet just weeks later, she's approached by Killian's family with a proposal—move to Scotland and marry Killian to improve his playboy reputation, and after one year, she'll walk away with ten million dollars. Sylvie agrees, even knowing that their plan is more deceptive than he realizes. But as she grows closer to Killian and the end of their year together, she has to Is the love of a good man with a dark soul worth keeping, or is she willing to break Killian's heart now that it's well and truly hers?


I have been a fan of Sara Cate since her SPC series, so I was excited to read Keep Me, the first book in her newest series, Sinful Manor. I borrowed the book from my library through Libby, and I read it quickly. It is divided into four parts, which is different from the other books I’ve read by Sara Cate. However, it’s a dual point of view, so you get to read the perspectives of both main characters.

My Thoughts: I’ll be honest; I didn’t care for the main female character, Sylvie, at first in the story. She came across as a spoiled rich girl who was used to being taken care of by her wealthy parents, who were always busy in their art studio, but they technically didn’t raise her. I emphatized with her in that context, especially when it was revealed how awful her parents truly were. However, she was an adult and needed to start taking care of herself. As the story progressed, I began to understand her character better and found myself liking her, especially when she agreed to marry the difficult character, Killian. What really changed my perspective on her was the way she defended her husband against his family. She truly became a force to be reckoned with.

Here’s the thing: if you’re not a fan of alpha males, you might not like Killian. As someone who loves reading alpha males in romance books, I didn’t mind Killian’s behavior. He’s a grumpy individual who hasn’t left his family’s house in years, and he has his reasons. His family wants him to move out, but he is determined to prove that he’s not the person they think he is. He agrees to marry Sylvie in order to prove it for a year, but he’s not going to make it easy for her. However, as they spend time together, especially with his friends who were a part of his past party escapades, they discover they have some things in common. 

I enjoyed reading about the development of Sylvie and Killian’s relationship, particularly how Sylvie discovered Killian’s interests. She became curious, but she was hesitant about the sharing aspect, which he had previously done with his friends. While there are some kinky elements mentioned, this book felt tamer compared to Sara Cate’s SPC series. There is some OW drama, but it is resolved fairly quickly, especially from Sylvie’s perspective. I empathized with both characters, especially when Sylvie had to conceal the true reason for her marriage to Killian. When the truth is revealed, Killian doesn’t take it well, which is understandable.

The book features a third-act breakup, but it didn’t bother me much. I appreciated how Sara Cate didn’t rush the characters back together. Killian needed time to work through some personal issues first. Ultimately, everything turns out well for the characters, leading to a well-deserved happily ever after. Killian will rediscover himself, thanks to Sylvie, and in turn, Sylvie will find her own identity as well.

Overall, this is a great start to a new series by Sara Cate, and I give it four stars. I’m looking forward to reading more in this series, especially since other characters were introduced, and I want to read their stories, too. 

I am once again grateful to my library for having a copy of this book, which I was able to read shortly after its release. It helped that I tagged the book in Libby to receive a notification when it became available to borrow, so I didn’t have to wait long in the queue.

Standalone or Part of Series: It’s an interconnected standalone in the Sinful Manor series.

Would I recommend this book? Yes. If you enjoyed Sara Cate’s previous series, this new series will also captivate you. It features some fantastic tropes, including Marriage of Convenience, Grumpy/Sunshine, and Forced Proximity, and is set in Scotland.


What to Expect:
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Scottish Billionaire Romance
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Marriage of Convenience
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Grumpy/Sunshine
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Age Gap
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Forced Proximity
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Slow Burn

This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale. It will help sponsor future giveaways but costs you nothing extra. You can read the full disclosure underneath the Privacy Policy.


About Sara Cate

Sara Cate is a USA Today best-selling author of steamy romance and sexy book boyfriends. Although she writes a wide range of tropes, Sara is best known for her age gap and taboo romances. One thing you can expect from her entire collection is heaps of steam and plenty of angst.

Living in Arizona with her husband and kids, Sara spends most of her time reading, writing, or baking.

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Bookhype | Instagram | Pinterest | Bookbub


Related Posts

  • By Sara Cate
  • Same Genre
ARC Review: ‘The Home Wrecker’ by Sara Cate
Review: ‘The Anti-Hero’ by Sara Cate
ARC Review: ‘Madame’ by Sara Cate
ARC Review: ‘The Heartbreaker’ by Sara Cate
Review: ‘Give Me More’ by Sara Cate
Review: ‘Ruthless King’ by Meghan March
Review: ‘Cherish Hard’ by Nalini Singh
Review: ‘Offside with #55’ by Piper Rayne
ARC Review: ‘Scandalize Me’ by Caitlin Crews
ARC Review: ‘Handle with Care’ by Marie Harte (Blog Tour) #ReviewAThon

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
FranJessca
FranJessca
Owner/Reviewer at A Book Lovin' Mama's Blog
I guess I should type a bio here. I'm FranJessca, or Fran for short. I'm the owner/reviewer behind A Book Lovin' Mama's Blog. I've been reading and reviewing books on my blog since leaving the Navy in 2011, and I will keep doing it as long as possible. My favorite genres will always be Romance & Fantasy, and I read every subgenre underneath those two genres. (Sorry, not a fan of nonfiction, so don't try to convince me to read it.)
My obsession with reading started over 30+ years ago when I went to my first Scholastic Book Fair and found R.L. Stine's Fear Street series. Later, I came across Anne Rice's novels at my public library when I was fourteen when my obsession with vampires started. I was the girl who preferred to be a vampire over a princess any day. My husband says I would leave him a heartbeat for a vampire that looked like Spike or Angel (from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) or Damon Salvatore from The Vampire Diaries. (It's true, though, and he's accepted it.)
FranJessca
Latest posts by FranJessca (see all)
  • Book Blitz + Giveaway: ‘Intimate Secret’ by D.C. Stone - May 8, 2025
  • ARC Review: ‘Shield of Sparrows’ by Devney Perry - May 7, 2025
  • ARC Review: ‘Archangel’s Ascension’ by Nalini Singh - May 6, 2025

Share this post:

Share on X (Twitter) Share on Facebook Share on Pinterest Share on Email
4 Star ReviewsAge Gap RomanceBook Read 2024Book Reviews 2024Forced ProximityGrumpy + SunshineLibrary BookMarriage of ConvenienceMillionaire or Billionaire HeroMillionaire or Billionaire RomanceSara CateSinful Manor SeriesSlow Burn Romance

About the Blogger

About the Blogger

My name is FranJessca. I wear many hats: I'm a Wife, Mom, Navy Veteran, Shy Introvert, Tattooed, Romance and Fantasy Reader, and Book Blogger.

Follow FranJessca

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Bloglovin'
  • Amazon
  • Instagram
  • Goodreads

Currently Reading

Review: ‘Rebel Hawke’ by Gwyn McNamee

Books Reviewed in 2025

A Book Lovin' Mama's Blog has reviewed 53 books this year.

42%

May Reviews

  • Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry
  • Archangel's Ascension by Nalini Singh
  • Wild Invitation by Nalini Singh
  • The Wind Weaver by Julie Johnson
  • Kiss of Snow by Nalini Singh

FTC Disclosure/Info

In accordance with the current FTC disclosure rules for bloggers & reviewers, the books you see reviewed on A Book Lovin’ Mama’s Blog are either purchased by me or procured from NetGalley, Edelweiss, directly from the author or publisher or PR company in an exchange for an honest review. I do not receive compensation of any kind for the reviews.

Purchases made through buy links (Amazon specifically) may result in a small commission, which helps support the blog and fund giveaways.

Please review the Policies above on the Menu Bar.

© 2012- 2025 A Book Lovin Mama's Blog, All Rights Reserved.

Site Design by JennJ Designs