BOOKWORM REVIEW: Burn for Me by Sara Cate
RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
STEAM: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Burn for Me kicks off with Everly being the star witness at a trial that condemns Cullen's father to prison. Dad is a horrible man that deserves to be put away for a long time, but the look eight-year-old Cullen throws Everly's way has her wondering if Cullen is cut from the same cloth.
Ten years later, Everly is experiencing an existential crisis with her career so she leaves the industry to teach. At the same college where Cullen matriculates. Due to credit requirements, he also has enrolled in her class.
The road that led these two to meet again is paved with misunderstanding, resentment, and anger, and how they traverse through that road is intense and hot.
Sara Cate does an amazing job of making us question the hard limits of the tropes we like to read. I find Everly relatable. She's in her 30s, and due to the confines of her job, she does not find the excitement in working anymore. She has rotten luck in finding men she can connect with.
Cullen had to grow up sooner than most people his age. Left practically alone in the world, he became a pariah because of his father, and he has had to work for everything he has, which is not much. He is clearly broken; he often caters to people's worst assumptions about him and lives the regret of doing so.
Yet somehow these two just made sense like two pieces of a puzzle that fit perfectly together. They bring each other to life. Cullen breaks the monotony of Everly's life and brings out the fire that once sparked within her. And Everly makes Cullen want to be a better person.
There are serious ups and downs to this roller coaster ride, and I enjoyed every minute of it. This is a dark romance, so please check out the trigger warnings before reading.
ABOUT THE BOOK
I ruined his life.
It was my investigation that sent his father to jail. It was my fault his mother killed herself shortly after. I’ve regretted it every day since. When he shows up in my Journalism class, I know I’m in trouble.
Cullen Ayers wants to make me pay.
His torment becomes my life, and I endure every moment because I deserve it. What started as revenge quickly turns into lust. He’s only eighteen, and I should be ashamed of how good this feels when we’re alone, but I can’t help myself. I’m in too deep.
I’m starting to discover his family’s secrets go far deeper than I first thought. The more I uncover, the more ways he finds to punish me.
Cullen wants to ruin me for life, and I’m afraid he already has.
This title was previously published in the Tangled Sheets anthology as Spitfire but has a new title, cover and added content!
Warning: This is a dark, bully romance with explicit content that may be triggering to some readers, including dub-con, abuse, and murder. Cullen Ayers is covered in red flags, but the bigger the bully, the better the redemption.
Get Your Copy (Free with Kindle Unlimited) → https://amzn.to/3Bh2m4J
Add to Goodreads → https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59043297-burn-for-me
MEET 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.
Connect with Sara
Website: https://www.saracatebooks.com/
Facebook: http://fb.me/saracatebooks
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/saracatebooks
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/SaraCate3