REVIEW: Eyes on Me by Sara Cate

In Eyes on Me by Sara Cate, Garrett Porter has poured his heart and soul–and most of his waking hours–into making his new business venture, the Salacious Players’ Club, a success. The fact that he and his friends (who are fellow owners) now have an exclusive place where they can feel free to be who they truly are is priceless. For seemingly fun-loving Garrett, who is a voyeur, it means he can safely and consensually watch the performers at the club. But if he’s being honest, it lacks the closeness he’s starting to crave after years of being on his own.

Then Garrett sees a gorgeous young camgirl on an app who fires up his blood–and his heart. The problem? It turns out to be his stepsister Mia Harris, who is thirteen years younger than him. As they spend more anonymous time on the app together, Garrett knows he needs to come clean about who he really is. But will it push Mia away for good?

‘Having Mia in my arms like this fills every crack and crevice inside me. There are no shadows or anxiety or fears. It’s just peaceful, quiet comfort.’

Mia doesn’t really care what anyone thinks about her being a camgirl. She didn’t take the job for the money, although that part is nice, but instead it’s about owning her body, her sexuality, and making a connection with men who are looking for attention as well as a few kind words. Not that Mia has shouted to the world what she does with her time. When she meets a super sexy, friendly and compassionate guy on the app, she can see the possibility of things progressing outside of work. But Mia also has a newfound sizzling rapport with her stepbrother Garrett. A guy she’s had a crush on since she started noticing the opposite sex. Either way she goes, she knows it’s a gamble with her heart–and that she’ll have to proceed with extreme caution.

‘I’m heartbroken, knowing that Garrett has spent so much of his life alone and not because he wanted to be, but because it was the only way to keep his dark secrets hidden.’

Spicy and fun but with a serious side as well, Sara Cate didn’t mess around with Eyes on Me, which tackled all kinds of taboo subjects with the utmost care and honesty.

“Mia. To be honest, sometimes I’m caught between wanting to keep you innocent and wanting to corrupt you.”

Content warning: View Spoiler »Manic depression (detailed), anxiety, suicidal thoughts & attempt, ongoing cancer treatments (secondary cast). « Hide Spoiler

Sara Cate once again has me falling head over heels for a couple who might not sound like they should work but who are one hundred percent perfect for each other. Garrett and Mia–like Emerson and Charlie in book one, Praise–have an age gap that could raise people’s eyebrows. In their case it’s about thirteen years difference, with Garrett being older than Mia. The other kicker? They are stepsiblings. Which, honestly, is a trope that can be hit or miss for me. But the way Cate presented this as Garrett already having been grown and living on his own before Mia became his stepsibling, and with him having no romantic feelings for her until she was twenty-three, was what smoothed it all over.

The other taboo element to Mia and Garrett’s story was that she was an exhibitionist who worked as a camgirl, and he was a voyeur who ran a private sex club. I loved the way Cate showed the genuine ways in which each of them owned their sexual preferences while still understanding why others wouldn’t necessarily be comfortable with it. There was no shame between Garrett and Mia for what they liked and what they needed from each other. That body and sex positivity allowed them to be themselves–both in private and later in the Salacious Players’ Club itself, which was an inclusive place for men *and* women alike. And talk about hot! Whew… Anytime Mia and Garrett were together, sparks flew. But no more so than when they were in their element at the club. *fans face*

I will mention that mental health and the darker side of depression and anxiety were explored, particularly toward the end of the book. Cate had me tearing up as we learned of Garrett’s struggles with it, which was a subject very personal to the author–and which was apparent in the raw, genuine way those scenes were written. So please read with caution if those are triggers for you.

QOTD: Can you think of any goofy, lovable characters in a series who had a lot more depth to them after learning about their past and their personal struggles?

Book Info:

Publication: Published: June 13th, 2023 | by Sourcebooks Casablanca | Salacious Players’ Club #2

He’s a voyeur―it means he likes to watch.

In Garrett Porter’s line of work, that’s a gift. As one of the owners of the Salacious Players’ Club, he’s comfortable on the sidelines and has always felt that he works best alone.

Until he stumbles on a cam girl app and finds himself watching the one person he should stay far away his step-sister, Mia Harris.

There are three big problems with this.

One, Mia and Garrett can’t stand each other.
Two, she has no idea he’s the man on the other end of the video.
And three, he’s hooked―on the app, and on her.

Now Mia has awakened something in Garrett. She has him wanting and doing things he said he’d never do again, like opening up and getting attached. He’s falling for her, but she’s falling for the man he’s only pretending to be.

If he’s going to make this right, he has to do more than just watch.