In Mercy (Salacious Players’ Club #4) by Sara Cate (8/25), Being co-owner of the Salacious 
Players’ Club is so far out of Maggie’s comfort zone it should be ridiculous. But she was somehow talked into the business venture by her close friend Emerson Grant several years ago. And if she’s being honest, it’s the best thing Maggie’s ever done. She’s still not super comfortable walking around the sex club, seeing the scenes taking place and the scantily clad patrons. But she knows the people there are free to be who they truly are. Something Maggie doesn’t feel like she’s ever had the chance to do for herself. Yet.
‘I don’t want to share him or our lives with anyone… What we have is sacred and it’s ours.’
Then Maggie gets talked into using the club’s app to take a kink quiz. Her results? That she’s dominant–a Domme and a Brat Tamer. When she gets matched up with someone local, she decides to take the plunge. But in tiny baby steps. Maggie gets the shock of her life when it turns out to be Emerson’s son Beau, who is about twelve years younger, who will be her sub. Both of them being new to the world of kink, they make a pact to explore this new lifestyle together…in secret. As Maggie sinks into her role as Beau’s Domme and he finds that he loves their time together, they realize that what they have is more real than they could have imagined. Something that might not go over so well, should their friends and loved ones find out.
‘This isn’t an experiment to me. It’s not about control or dominance. It’s real. It’s love.’
An erotic romance with scorching hot love scenes where the heroine was the dominant one, and a story lush with feelings while testing out new roles, Mercy will have readers gasping for more of Sara Cate’s Salacious Players’ Club.
“You’re mine, Beau Grant. Do you hear me?”
She’s leaning in, about to press her mouth to mine again. I bring her closer, feeling her breath against my lips as I reply, “Yes ma’am.”
“Now kiss me again.”
Trigger warning: View Spoiler »
I should note that I jumped in at book four in the Salacious Players’ Club instead of starting at the beginning, so that might skew how I saw this relationship play out where I didn’t get to see either character’s starting point and subsequent growth over the series. But I ended up liking the role reversal (as well as Beau and Maggie) more than I thought I would. Sara Cate had an interesting mix of taboo subject matter–a Domme/sub relationship with about a twelve year age gap–and a whole slew of genuine emotions while Maggie and Beau formed an intense, solid bond.
I know this won’t work for every reader. It was (as one would expect from an erotic romance) quite explicit and had several scenes that might be too much for some people in regard to how Maggie dominated Beau, told from a dual POV. It was completely consensual. And there was respect throughout every scene. Where I’ve read some other Domme/sub erotica before (Tiffany Reisz’s Original Sinners, and Kristen Ashley’s Honey series) I had an idea what to expect. But Cate put her own spin on it, adding in a tense situation where Beau and Maggie were keeping their relationship hidden from everyone, including her business partner and friend–and Beau’s father!–Emerson.
It was all tangled up. And I could tell it was likely going to end in disaster. But it was easy to see why Maggie and Beau wanted to keep their newfound love as well as their newfound true sexual identities to themselves. There was a lot of introspection and growth for both of them, but particularly (I thought) for Beau. He started off as a rather immature, directionless twenty-two year old but was soon finding his place in the world and even thinking towards the future. Maggie also began to feel more comfortable in her own skin, realizing that becoming a Domme allowed her to feel more in control of the rest of her life too.
QOTD: The age difference between Beau and Maggie was a big part of this story. Are you open to reading romances with age gaps? Or does it depend on how the author handles it?
Book Info:
Publication: August 25th 2022 | Sara Cate Books LLC | Salacious Players Club #4
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.
Loverofromance
I really loved your review here! I felt the same way about this one. Its not my favorite of the series but a solid installment. I really struggled with how long they kept it a “secret” though. It felt like it was dragged on way too long. Praise will always be my favorite.
shygirl19748
Thank you! They had a pretty interesting dynamic, didn’t they? I completely agree about the length of time it took for them to admit to their relationship. You just *knew* the longer they kept it secret, the worse it would be for everyone involved… lol I need to go back and read the first 3 books now!! 🙂
Loverofromance
oh wow you haven’t read the first three yet??!! Darling you need to get on that haha The first book Praise is by far my favorite of the series. Once you read it you will probably understand why as it has one of my favorite kinks in it.