Good Girl Effect (Deluxe Edition)

A huge thank you to Sara Cate and her team for letting me listen to The Good Girl Effect, the first book in the second-generation Salacious Players Legacy series.
This next generation is so well done—it doesn’t spoil the original series if you haven’t read it yet, but if you haven’t, I highly recommend starting there too! In this story, we meet Jack and Camille.
Jack is a grieving father who’s been burying himself in his newly inherited kink club, left to him and five others by his godfather. He’s so distant from his family that your heart aches for him—I even teared up while listening. The full cast narration (CJ Bloom, Jason Clarke, Meg Sylvan, Brandon Francis, and Samantha Brentmoor) made the emotions hit even harder.
Camille, on the other hand, is just a girl trying to return a letter she found in her bookstore—only to find herself applying for a nanny position instead. Taking a leap, she accepts the live-in job, and from there, their story unfolds.
This book was absolutely fantastic on audio, and I’m so thankful I got the chance to listen. I can’t wait for book two in the Legacy series!

Jack St. Claire you are everything. I'm speechless. Without a doubt one of my top 5 books this year.
Opening the book to a new prologue made me giddy and emotional.
Seeing new names and new stories come to life feels like being passed down something sentimental.
Jack was so real and my heart felt like it was breaking in two for him. The story was real and raw and impactful, much more than just a smutty book. Although, Jack has one of the filthiest mouths I've ever read and his chemistry with Camille was exhilarating and touching.
Camille was also more than just a caretaker. She was the glue and the push Jack needed. She was relatable and fun and curious. I enjoyed their conversations and bond and how it naturally evolved.
I'm just in awe of this new playground in Paris and the opportunities it opens up. I'm excited to hear everyone's journey to love and themselves. I just know this second generation will be one of my favorite series along with Salacious.

Intoxicatingly sexy and emotionally rich, what an alluring and consuming return to the addictively delicious Salacious Players Club! I am so deliriously happy to be back in one of my favorite Sara Cate worlds! But now with the second generation….new club (Legacy), new city (PARIS!) and new characters….the dysfunctional children of all the characters we know and love. The Good Girl Effect is everything I’ve come to love about this series, and the magic mind of Sara Cate. It’s page-turningly spicy, but also intensely existential. It’s provocative and sizzling, but also thoughtful and metaphysically meaningful. And it’s nostalgic and fresh all at once. I simply adored this read/listen- and I can’t wait for all the stories to come. These characters, their dynamic, this world, and the romantic and sensual setting of beautiful Paris are all transfixing. Welcome back, players.
What I love most about this world, and Sara Cate’s point of view in general, is how characters can find healing and self-actualizing by exploring their sexuality. That’s always been the premise of the SPC- freedom, safety, curiosity and, of course, pleasure. Emotional catharsis found in the physical. But beneath the sexy sparkling veneer and panty melting bondage-centered spice (and it is spicy!) is a heartwarming, wholesome even, story of love and loss, grief and healing, family and home. Between the accidental french nanny and the grieving widowed single father. Two characters lost in heartache and loneliness, two characters thirsty for real connection, but both scared to grab it when they find it in each other. One out of guilt, the other out of responsibility and longing. It’s forbidden, it’s complicated, it’s angsty, and it’s messy. Their journey ties you in knots (pun intended LOL). Their connection is easy, authentic, restorative to them both. They bring each other to life in the most beautiful way. But, sometimes you can’t love another until you’ve done your own emotional work. The leap of trust and heart isn’t alone enough. And I loved that theme and message- doing the seemingly Herculean work of HEALING. It’s a profound and moving theme- and I loved these two characters lost in grief finding hope, vitality, home…and most of all, FAMILY.

The next gen series started off strong with Jack's book and I am so excited to see the other kids’ stories!
Jack St. Claire is a single father who has buried himself in work after the death of his wife, running a kink club with the other children of his parents’ friends. Camille is working at a bookstore when she finds a love letter inside an old book. Desperate to return it to the owner, she goes to Paris but winds up accidentlly applying for and getting a nannying gig for Jack's young daughter. Camille soon discovers the truth about Jack's work and asks him to introduce her to the world. As the lines between personal and professional begin to blur, they must figure out if their passion can overcome the ghosts of their past.
Jack and Camille were perfect main characters. I love a nanny/single dad trope, and Sara did this one so well by adding in a story of grief and loss as well. Jack starts out so gruff and broken and I loved his journey of healing, especially with his daughter! Sara always adds depth into her characters that perfectly balances out the spice and this one delivered!
Using letters to express their feelings (and desires) was such a nice touch. It added so much to have this extra layer of communication and it dialed up the heat! I also looooove a teaching plot line, and that was so delicious in this book!
We also got introduced to most of the kids of the other characters from SPC. They were tasked with running the club in Paris together, but unlike their parents, these characters aren't all best friends. Seeing their relationships, both good and bad, made me so excited to read the rest of the series!
The audio has a full cast and was really well done. I thought all of the narrators did a great job and I am so glad i was able to go back and forth between audio and ebook.

I devoured this story! Sara writes forbidden romance like no other. I was so excited she’s continuing with the SPC world and this story did not disappoint! This story follows jack, a widowed single father and Camille his younger nanny. Jacks grief journey is hard to read but his character growth was just so beautifully written. I loved Camille she was such a free spirit and I couldn’t get enough of them both! The spice was perfectly written, when I hear the term good girl I just cannot deal. The audio version was great the narrators really brought the story to life. I would highly recommend listening to this story. Who doesn’t love a spicy age gap?!? So hot! I cannot wait to see what’s next for this series! The paperback with the painted edges is freaking gorgeous!!!!