Mercy by Sara Cate Book Review
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Blurb
I don’t want to hurt him—I just want to punish him.
It’s bad enough being the only female owner of the Salacious Players’ Club, but I’m also the only one without a kink, or so I thought.
Imagine my surprise when the kink quiz suggests that I’m not so vanilla after all.
In fact, I’m a lot more like Emerson Grant than I thought.
Just one problem—I have no idea how to be a Domme.
That is, until the app matches me with someone willing to help me learn.
He’s too young for me.
Too stubborn. Too good looking.
And, oh yeah, my friend’s son.
Beau Grant is a brat. I’d hate that about him if I didn’t love punishing him so much.
Underneath all of that attitude is a man who is misunderstood, selfless, and in need of direction.
But if he wants mercy, he has to earn it.
There are a million reasons why I should stay away, but I’m tired of doing what everyone thinks I should do.
I finally know what I want, and I’m ready to take what’s mine.
Triggers / Content Warning
This book does get rather dark and anyone who considers themselves to be a sensitive reader should maybe skip this one. She does give a note at the beginning of the book that has a general disclosure. If you need specific triggers I’d say theses apply to this story:
- Alcohol
- Assault
- Blood
- BDSM
- Cheating
- Child abuse (brief mentioning/aluded)
- Divorce (brief mentioning not between main characters)
- Homophobia (brief mentioning)
- Misogyny
- Profanity
- Sexually Explicit Scenes
- Violence
Ratings
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There are possible **SPOILERS** beyond this point!
Overall Rating
5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I really enjoyed this book! I am probably the only one who read it without reading the rest of the series first, but this was the book I have been looking for! The premise of this book really drew me in and I haven’t read anything from Sara Cate before! Two people trying to figure out their kink together?! Perfection!
I was worried that I wouldn’t understand what was going on when she would, inevitably, talk about characters from previous books but it wasn’t too bad. There was enough information given to where I feel like this definitely could serve as a standalone book! However! I will definitely be going back to read the other stories in this series! I think her treatment of the taboo topics talked about in this book were mature and also very realistic.
The love and care between Maggie and Beau grows strong through their support of each other when they’re faced with several bumps in their journey towards self-acceptance. What starts as a secret plan to learn their D/s roles, turns onto something more that neither can let go of! Both characters are living their lives trying to please their parents’ ideals instead of owning what makes them truly happy and embracing their real personalities! It’s mirrored in both characters. They balance each other beautifully!
As a side note, the chapter names were really funny at times and I had a giggle to myself at how perfectly they summed up the chapters!
Spice Rating
5/5 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶
This book is both graphic and explicitly about a sexual relationship. If you’re sensitive to these topics… I don’t know why you’re trying to read this book lol
I do feel that there was still lots of plot in between all the spice! Always a win, IMO!
Main Characters
Female Main Character
Maggie
She 34 and part owner of Salacious Players’ Club. She lives alone with her dog, Ringo. She’s described as modest and a babysitter. She does get a mini makeover as the story builds!
I really loved Maggie’s journey towards self-acceptance and empowerment in this story! She was so fierce and protective over Beau! I loved her possessiveness over him! The “touch him and I’ll unalive you” vibes were so strong from Maggie! I absolutely loved it! She always had encouragement and calm to give to Beau when he needed it. But she also had plenty of sass to give him when they would go back and forth. Their banter was so good!
Seeing her come out of her shell was so beautiful! I have had a similar experiences like Maggie had as a young person. I was cheering her on by the end of the book when she stood in her strength as a BOSS! Once she let her true Domme/Brat Tamer nature come through it was a BAB in the building!
Male Main Character
Beau
He is 22 and the son of Emerson Grant, another part owner of Salacious Players’ Club. He is also the ex-boyfriend to Charlie, Emerson’s fiancé/wife. He is described as emotionally volatile and unruly. He looks like a young version of Emerson.
Such a brat! Beau was a character that I was trying so hard to hate because he was definitely hate-able at times! Ultimately, I fell anyway! I don’t even know how but the genuine side we caught glimpses of just stole my heart! His growth was so evident in how he acted with Maggie at their home but also towards the uncomfortable relationships in his life. When he had to interact with Emerson (his dad) and Charlie (his ex) at their wedding, I was on the edge of my seat just waiting for him to finally throw a fit! What happened instead was SO much better lol
He was actually very funny and sweet under all that petty! Probably the pettiest man I’ve ever read lol We also see that Beau is an artist which really speaks volumes, as well! He was very passionate and felt so strongly about the people he cared for! He was always will to sacrifice himself to do what he felt was right.
Setting / World / Universe
This book mostly takes place in The Salacious Players’ Club and Maggie’s home. They do go to several local businesses and it’s varied enough to give a real city feel. I was pleased with the world she created. I had a clear picture of what all the rooms they were in looked like. Not too much time and not too little time building.
Genre & Tropes
Genre
Contemporary Romance
Tropes
- Age Gap Relationship (AGR)
- Domme and Sub (D/s)
- Dark Romance (taboo)
Favorite Quotes
“Call it reckless, but I am excited for tonight. Maybe I should think this through more, but at the end of the day, I trust her, and I’m more than willing to throw caution to the wind and put everything in her hands. I can’t get over how good that feels, letting her have control. Especially since she wants it.” Beau Grant
“The vulnerability he’s expressing, the pain, fear, anger, all of it, is somehow as beautiful as much as it is haunting.” Maggie
“We collided like two stars moving in the same direction for longer than we knew. There was no changing course or avoiding it. I didn’t mean for it to happen. But there’s no going back now.” Maggie
Discussion Questions
These are some questions that I came up with while reading! Feel free to share your responses below if/when you’ve read this book! ☺️
- Maggie and Beau were seen interacting before they began their relationship, do you think they would have eventually found one another whether they took the quiz and joined the app or not?
- What qualities does Maggie possess that make her a good Domme for Beau?
- What qualities does Beau possess that make her a good sub for Maggie?
- Do Maggie and Beau’s relationship mirror Charlotte and Emerson’s relationship?
- Despite all the other Salacious Owners’ engaging in otherwise taboo relationships, why do you think Maggie is so resistant to letting her friends know about her new relationship?
Intrigued?
Check out Mercy here on Amazon!
