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The Catcher
"What it means, Em, is that you’re going to do what I want, whenever I want, or I’ll tell everyone your dirty little secret."
Art therapist Emrys Finnegan thought she'd left the fast-paced world of Public Relations behind when her old boss calls to offer her one last job. And it pays the kind of money that could change Emrys' life forever.
There's only one catch. She'd be working for disgraced major league baseball superstar Tanner Courtenay. And he’s a legendary PR nightmare, a violent and unstable athlete with a rap sheet a mile long.
Emrys has no choice but to grit her teeth and put up with Tanner's contemptuous treatment and malicious cruelty. But when one day he goes too far, everything changes. Suddenly, Tanner would do anything to get Emrys to stay with him. And with his wealth and ruthlessness, it's only a matter of time before he gets what he wants…
This is a fast-paced dark baseball romance with bullying, blackmail, obsession, breeding, groveling, and a HEA.
Art therapist Emrys Finnegan thought she'd left the fast-paced world of Public Relations behind when her old boss calls to offer her one last job. And it pays the kind of money that could change Emrys' life forever.
There's only one catch. She'd be working for disgraced major league baseball superstar Tanner Courtenay. And he’s a legendary PR nightmare, a violent and unstable athlete with a rap sheet a mile long.
Emrys has no choice but to grit her teeth and put up with Tanner's contemptuous treatment and malicious cruelty. But when one day he goes too far, everything changes. Suddenly, Tanner would do anything to get Emrys to stay with him. And with his wealth and ruthlessness, it's only a matter of time before he gets what he wants…
This is a fast-paced dark baseball romance with bullying, blackmail, obsession, breeding, groveling, and a HEA.
167 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 4, 2024
368 people are currently reading
1320 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 426 reviews
October 19, 2024
1.5 stars: grovel? romance?
Don’t let the title deceive you… unless you’re fine with a short attempt at groveling. But if you’re like me, reading a “grovel” book, as the title implies, means, I need to see more of it and not just the last 15% of the book 🙄.
Most books with a third-act breakup have some sort of grovel anyway, and it’s never in the title 🤷🏻♀️
I HAAAATE being deceived 😒🤬, and I RARELY give such low ratings as it is.
I might’ve been more accepting of the “grovel” if I felt like the zero, Tanner, was redeemable, and he wasn’t in my eyes 🤷🏻♀️.
Emerys (no age or much information given about her) has debts to pay off. She’s a kindergarten teacher and used to be in PR. She gets called in to clean up the image of one of the biggest a 🕳️ s I’ve ever read- Tanner (also no age given or must info about it), who plays professional baseball and is not only aggressive but has been using steroids, which is why his image has been tainted even more.
Little does she know, she’ll be forced to do a lot, especially on her knees when it comes to Tanner🥴. All for his dirty d 🥴.
What I liked:
—there’s baseball and we get to see people play (baseball is my favorite sport). Many times in sports romances, we don't see enough of the sport being played, and here we got some scenes of live baseball
—there are turtles/tortoises (they only make appearances, it's not like we get pet names)
That’s it 😒 and none of this has to do with the "romance"
⚠️INCOMING RANTY SPOILERS⚠️
Now, if I had believed there was actual ROMANCE, with actual GROVEL because there’s BULLYING going on (as the title implies), then maybe I would’ve appreciated:
—the breeding
—the cute epilogue
—the OTT behavior (some of it)
—the “grovel” (who doesn’t wanna save animals by going vegan, have tortoises as pets, get their name cleared, have their man change his number so previous girls can’t call him, get engaged, and finally get some Os when she’s being non conned)
—the non/dub con
—the blackmail 😅. The audacity 😈
—the 🔥. Ufff... there's SOOOOOO much of it
—the OMD 😈. I luuuurve it in my books
But yeah. I couldn’t appreciate that ^^ because of
The things I didn’t like/HAAAAATED:
—whyyyyyyy do they want each other?😒 They don't talk; they don't interact; they don't have anything in common... so why do they suddenly "love" each other (when the declaration gets revealed at the end). There's no relationship development and there's little character development. The problem with single POV books is that we need to be SHOWN and not TOLD when things happen/change. But here, we don't get enough of it so get us, the readers, to understand the characters' actions. Why is Tanner so respected? He doesn't even play well. Why is he a bully? We know the jobs his parents have, but that's it. Sigh
—he doesn’t become nice to Emerys until the end 😒. I get it. It’s a bully “romance”, but how am I supposed to find the hero charming when he’s constantly referring to the heroine as his hole to fill and he continues being an a$$hole to the heroine and others? Because we don't get his POV, we REALLY don't know how he feels or what he thinks of the heroine. It felt like whiplash once he started being nice to her; there's no buildup to the "romance" or the "relationship"
—the OW b j scene 🤢. Nothing says OTT obsessed and romantic as the Zero forcing the woman he wants to watch him with ow 🥴. I mean, really… who says romance is dead? 🙄not Tanner 🙄. Duh. What woman wouldn’t wanna see her would-be-forced hubby getting off with ow 😒. Tanner forces Emerys to have a meeting while the ow is on her knees, actively servicing Tanner 🥴. When she tries to leave, he grabs her wrist, PAINFULLY (I was cringing at the possible bones he could be breaking), so they can continue talking
Don’t you worry, the ow was still working on her job 🤢. She keeps going even though Tanner and Emerys are talking 🥴. Eventually, she gets the hint when Tanner continues talking like it’s THAT normal to be having a meeting while the ow is on her knees 🥴 and she leaves 😐
^^this ruined any kind of redemption for me
—how physically forceful he is 😐. Look. I’ve read my fair share of bully “romances”, many of them have gotten 5 stars. But none of them have ever had a hero be THIS physically aggressive to the heroine. Not only am I surprised Emerys hasn’t broken any bones or has her wrists still in tact, but the bruises, biting that draws blood, and hickeys add a not-so-sexy element to this book 🥴 Emerys can’t even move sometimes. I love certain aspects of this, but not the bruising or bloody kind 😐 and not in conjunction with everything else
—HOW SELFISH TANNER IS 🤬. I cannot stand a hero who is this selfish. I do NOT know what the f Emerys sees in him. WHAT DO YOU LOVE??? That he’s a big guy? That he’s a bully? That he plays baseball? it’s not his charming personality 🤷🏻♀️. We don’t see him be nicer until almost 90% of the book!! She quickly says I love you soon after. Like 😵💫😵💫. Girl, are you okay? You're going from one toxic relationship to another 🥴
—NEVER. MAKING. EMERYS. 💦 ORGASM. I CANNOT… I CANNOT deal with selfish lovers 🤬. All Tanner cares about is his O. In fact, he constantly forces Emerys to drink his 💦 when he Os. It’s not until almost 90% that he finally thinks about HER 🥴. When I’ve read bully romances, I like when the H makes her 💦O against her will, because he wants to ensure she's also feeling pleasure. But not Tanner here 😵💫. He gives no Fs (again. Why does Emerys want him??? He’s not even good in 🔥. Having a big D does not equal a good lover 😵💫… as they say… it’s not the size of the boat 🤷🏻♀️)
I’ll give Emerys some points here. She wasn’t like most heroines who O the first time they have 🔥 with the hero, even when they're being mistreated. But. Really Tanner? 🙄 with a lover like that, who needs men 🤷🏻♀️. Emerys is better off with a Lelo or good ol’ vibrator that can do the work he's not willing to put in
—getting her fired 🤬. He follows through on the blackmail and gets her fired, that way she’s forced to be with him. She’s incredibly upset, but he doesn’t care. Ah. True love 🤡
—how hard/painful everything is. Every. Single. Time they have sex, it sounds so painful. Tanner doesn’t prep her. Doesn’t make sure she 💦, and he even says he normally doesn’t care to make the girl O, so how is Emerys different then Tanner😵💫? He tells her that her cun+ and her mouth need to be open and available to him at ALLLLL times or else 😐😒. So romantic 😵💫
—dirty 🍆 and dirty hands. Is Tanner even clean???!! Ugh. It’s never mentioned 😐. And don’t get me started on the times he touches her 🐱 with dirty, grimy, sweaty hands 🥴. I kept praying she wouldn’t get a UTI 😐. Shoot. Or even an STD 🥴 #lordhelpthisgirlout
—using glass to mark Emerys up 😐. The first time they meet, he throws a baseball at the tv, glass shoots everywhere, and then he corners Emerys and uses one shard to ALMOST cut her up 🥴. What an amazing first impression 🤡
—the amount of Bjs 😐. There are more bjs than anything else. Fine, I get it... it's a bully "romance," but geez Louise! I dislike when there are so many double standards when it comes to sex. I know I mentioned this above, but... my gosh... cut this girl's throat some slack 😐. We only get one time he actively uses his hands for just her pleasure and one time he goes down on her... when they have anal, he does stimulate her V and clit, but he's also ramming into her ruthlessly, so it's the least he can do 😅
—waterboarding? Pssshhh. How about almost drowning in a bucket of water 🤡. When Emerys doesn’t obey her master and goes to visit her FAMILY, he beats a guy up, gets arrested, which forces Emerys to come back. Then he takes out his anger by almost drowning her 🥴
—how immature he is 😐. He’s like a little kid throwing a tantrum whenever he doesn’t get what he wants. This is NOT sexy to me. Tanner tends to use violence to get what he wants, and it isn’t pretty
—allowing women to be all over him 😐. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. More than halfway through the book, this Zero still allows women to paw him, even though he’s already been 🔥 with Emerys
Overall, I was WAAAAAYY too angry to appreciate the few soft things going on
⚠️safety squad⚠️
-no sharing
-cheating can be subjective here, but technically they weren’t together. Other side characters cheat on each other
-noncon galore/dubcon
-bully/physically abusive/verbally abusive
-water dunking/almost drowning
-blackmail/causes her to lose her job
-the H is emotionally and physically abusive towards the h (as a way to show he wants her 🙄)
-OW: the H forces the h to watch him get a bj by making her stay and “work”. Later, once it’s obvious he wants her, he has two women all over him, one who’s ready to suck him off 😐. He pushes that one away saying she sucks at it, so maybe she was already sucking him off or maybe she’s done it in the past I don’t know. Later, he's surrounded by a couple of women who are pawing at him on the dance floor
-OMD: there’s om1 who wants to date the h. The H goes ballistic and kicks his ass. Her ex, OM2, shows up and propositions her. Then the H kicks his ass as well
-breeding/spanking/biting/BITING with blood/praise kink/spits in her mouth and makes her swallow/anal play and eating/anal sex
-no condoms or talk about safety (and he’s a manwhore)/he rips her birth control patch off her and then throws away her birth control pills. Later he pulls out her NuvaRing
-HEA? I guess 🙄/epilogue/8 months later
Don’t let the title deceive you… unless you’re fine with a short attempt at groveling. But if you’re like me, reading a “grovel” book, as the title implies, means, I need to see more of it and not just the last 15% of the book 🙄.
Most books with a third-act breakup have some sort of grovel anyway, and it’s never in the title 🤷🏻♀️
I HAAAATE being deceived 😒🤬, and I RARELY give such low ratings as it is.
I might’ve been more accepting of the “grovel” if I felt like the zero, Tanner, was redeemable, and he wasn’t in my eyes 🤷🏻♀️.
Emerys (no age or much information given about her) has debts to pay off. She’s a kindergarten teacher and used to be in PR. She gets called in to clean up the image of one of the biggest a 🕳️ s I’ve ever read- Tanner (also no age given or must info about it), who plays professional baseball and is not only aggressive but has been using steroids, which is why his image has been tainted even more.
Little does she know, she’ll be forced to do a lot, especially on her knees when it comes to Tanner🥴. All for his dirty d 🥴.
What I liked:
—there’s baseball and we get to see people play (baseball is my favorite sport). Many times in sports romances, we don't see enough of the sport being played, and here we got some scenes of live baseball
—there are turtles/tortoises (they only make appearances, it's not like we get pet names)
That’s it 😒 and none of this has to do with the "romance"
⚠️INCOMING RANTY SPOILERS⚠️
Now, if I had believed there was actual ROMANCE, with actual GROVEL because there’s BULLYING going on (as the title implies), then maybe I would’ve appreciated:
—the breeding
—the cute epilogue
—the OTT behavior (some of it)
—the “grovel” (who doesn’t wanna save animals by going vegan, have tortoises as pets, get their name cleared, have their man change his number so previous girls can’t call him, get engaged, and finally get some Os when she’s being non conned)
—the non/dub con
—the blackmail 😅. The audacity 😈
—the 🔥. Ufff... there's SOOOOOO much of it
—the OMD 😈. I luuuurve it in my books
But yeah. I couldn’t appreciate that ^^ because of
The things I didn’t like/HAAAAATED:
—whyyyyyyy do they want each other?😒 They don't talk; they don't interact; they don't have anything in common... so why do they suddenly "love" each other (when the declaration gets revealed at the end). There's no relationship development and there's little character development. The problem with single POV books is that we need to be SHOWN and not TOLD when things happen/change. But here, we don't get enough of it so get us, the readers, to understand the characters' actions. Why is Tanner so respected? He doesn't even play well. Why is he a bully? We know the jobs his parents have, but that's it. Sigh
—he doesn’t become nice to Emerys until the end 😒. I get it. It’s a bully “romance”, but how am I supposed to find the hero charming when he’s constantly referring to the heroine as his hole to fill and he continues being an a$$hole to the heroine and others? Because we don't get his POV, we REALLY don't know how he feels or what he thinks of the heroine. It felt like whiplash once he started being nice to her; there's no buildup to the "romance" or the "relationship"
—the OW b j scene 🤢. Nothing says OTT obsessed and romantic as the Zero forcing the woman he wants to watch him with ow 🥴. I mean, really… who says romance is dead? 🙄not Tanner 🙄. Duh. What woman wouldn’t wanna see her would-be-forced hubby getting off with ow 😒. Tanner forces Emerys to have a meeting while the ow is on her knees, actively servicing Tanner 🥴. When she tries to leave, he grabs her wrist, PAINFULLY (I was cringing at the possible bones he could be breaking), so they can continue talking
Don’t you worry, the ow was still working on her job 🤢. She keeps going even though Tanner and Emerys are talking 🥴. Eventually, she gets the hint when Tanner continues talking like it’s THAT normal to be having a meeting while the ow is on her knees 🥴 and she leaves 😐
^^this ruined any kind of redemption for me
—how physically forceful he is 😐. Look. I’ve read my fair share of bully “romances”, many of them have gotten 5 stars. But none of them have ever had a hero be THIS physically aggressive to the heroine. Not only am I surprised Emerys hasn’t broken any bones or has her wrists still in tact, but the bruises, biting that draws blood, and hickeys add a not-so-sexy element to this book 🥴 Emerys can’t even move sometimes. I love certain aspects of this, but not the bruising or bloody kind 😐 and not in conjunction with everything else
—HOW SELFISH TANNER IS 🤬. I cannot stand a hero who is this selfish. I do NOT know what the f Emerys sees in him. WHAT DO YOU LOVE??? That he’s a big guy? That he’s a bully? That he plays baseball? it’s not his charming personality 🤷🏻♀️. We don’t see him be nicer until almost 90% of the book!! She quickly says I love you soon after. Like 😵💫😵💫. Girl, are you okay? You're going from one toxic relationship to another 🥴
—NEVER. MAKING. EMERYS. 💦 ORGASM. I CANNOT… I CANNOT deal with selfish lovers 🤬. All Tanner cares about is his O. In fact, he constantly forces Emerys to drink his 💦 when he Os. It’s not until almost 90% that he finally thinks about HER 🥴. When I’ve read bully romances, I like when the H makes her 💦O against her will, because he wants to ensure she's also feeling pleasure. But not Tanner here 😵💫. He gives no Fs (again. Why does Emerys want him??? He’s not even good in 🔥. Having a big D does not equal a good lover 😵💫… as they say… it’s not the size of the boat 🤷🏻♀️)
I’ll give Emerys some points here. She wasn’t like most heroines who O the first time they have 🔥 with the hero, even when they're being mistreated. But. Really Tanner? 🙄 with a lover like that, who needs men 🤷🏻♀️. Emerys is better off with a Lelo or good ol’ vibrator that can do the work he's not willing to put in
—getting her fired 🤬. He follows through on the blackmail and gets her fired, that way she’s forced to be with him. She’s incredibly upset, but he doesn’t care. Ah. True love 🤡
—how hard/painful everything is. Every. Single. Time they have sex, it sounds so painful. Tanner doesn’t prep her. Doesn’t make sure she 💦, and he even says he normally doesn’t care to make the girl O, so how is Emerys different then Tanner😵💫? He tells her that her cun+ and her mouth need to be open and available to him at ALLLLL times or else 😐😒. So romantic 😵💫
—dirty 🍆 and dirty hands. Is Tanner even clean???!! Ugh. It’s never mentioned 😐. And don’t get me started on the times he touches her 🐱 with dirty, grimy, sweaty hands 🥴. I kept praying she wouldn’t get a UTI 😐. Shoot. Or even an STD 🥴 #lordhelpthisgirlout
—using glass to mark Emerys up 😐. The first time they meet, he throws a baseball at the tv, glass shoots everywhere, and then he corners Emerys and uses one shard to ALMOST cut her up 🥴. What an amazing first impression 🤡
—the amount of Bjs 😐. There are more bjs than anything else. Fine, I get it... it's a bully "romance," but geez Louise! I dislike when there are so many double standards when it comes to sex. I know I mentioned this above, but... my gosh... cut this girl's throat some slack 😐. We only get one time he actively uses his hands for just her pleasure and one time he goes down on her... when they have anal, he does stimulate her V and clit, but he's also ramming into her ruthlessly, so it's the least he can do 😅
—waterboarding? Pssshhh. How about almost drowning in a bucket of water 🤡. When Emerys doesn’t obey her master and goes to visit her FAMILY, he beats a guy up, gets arrested, which forces Emerys to come back. Then he takes out his anger by almost drowning her 🥴
—how immature he is 😐. He’s like a little kid throwing a tantrum whenever he doesn’t get what he wants. This is NOT sexy to me. Tanner tends to use violence to get what he wants, and it isn’t pretty
—allowing women to be all over him 😐. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. More than halfway through the book, this Zero still allows women to paw him, even though he’s already been 🔥 with Emerys
Overall, I was WAAAAAYY too angry to appreciate the few soft things going on
⚠️safety squad⚠️
-no sharing
-cheating can be subjective here, but technically they weren’t together. Other side characters cheat on each other
-noncon galore/dubcon
-bully/physically abusive/verbally abusive
-water dunking/almost drowning
-blackmail/causes her to lose her job
-the H is emotionally and physically abusive towards the h (as a way to show he wants her 🙄)
-OW: the H forces the h to watch him get a bj by making her stay and “work”. Later, once it’s obvious he wants her, he has two women all over him, one who’s ready to suck him off 😐. He pushes that one away saying she sucks at it, so maybe she was already sucking him off or maybe she’s done it in the past I don’t know. Later, he's surrounded by a couple of women who are pawing at him on the dance floor
-OMD: there’s om1 who wants to date the h. The H goes ballistic and kicks his ass. Her ex, OM2, shows up and propositions her. Then the H kicks his ass as well
-breeding/spanking/biting/BITING with blood/praise kink/spits in her mouth and makes her swallow/anal play and eating/anal sex
-no condoms or talk about safety (and he’s a manwhore)/he rips her birth control patch off her and then throws away her birth control pills. Later he pulls out her NuvaRing
-HEA? I guess 🙄/epilogue/8 months later
March 22, 2024
Tanner’s bonus pov: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/yhxux9jwpm
edit: when you see so many readers who’s hating, dnfin, and disliking this book makes me even more obsessed with this authors work, muahahah 😈
-swoony sigh 😍 you know it’s REAL love when he
• blackmails you bc he knows your secret
• keeps pulling your hair
• gets arrested on purpose so u can come back
• smash glass behind you
• cut you up with a glass that’s minor
• shove your head into ice cold bucket
• make fun of your stuttering
• terrorizing you with your ex bf
• double bagged with every other hoes, but with her it’s raw
• sexual harassing & impregnating you
• fucks you for his own release & doesn’t care to make u cum
-what more could a gurl ask for- 🤭
Legit 0-100 whirlwind type of shit. I found my passion for reading again. This author gets an A++++ aka 5 starssss going so hardcore for forced pregnancy/breeding, you know I eat dat shit up. 🤌🏻
If yall was confuse where was the groveling at, giving her an orgasm was his groveling y’all, just fyi. 😉
Basic of the story; heroine is his PR tryna clean up his image & hero is a mean unapologetic bully tryna impregnate her. The end. I approved this type of behavior.
Idk how to move on, I’m so depressed & hung up on Tanner. 😭 BayBEEE, the catcher is def a catch ✨ ⚾️
edit: when you see so many readers who’s hating, dnfin, and disliking this book makes me even more obsessed with this authors work, muahahah 😈
-swoony sigh 😍 you know it’s REAL love when he
• blackmails you bc he knows your secret
• keeps pulling your hair
• gets arrested on purpose so u can come back
• smash glass behind you
• cut you up with a glass that’s minor
• shove your head into ice cold bucket
• make fun of your stuttering
• terrorizing you with your ex bf
• double bagged with every other hoes, but with her it’s raw
• sexual harassing & impregnating you
• fucks you for his own release & doesn’t care to make u cum
-what more could a gurl ask for- 🤭
Legit 0-100 whirlwind type of shit. I found my passion for reading again. This author gets an A++++ aka 5 starssss going so hardcore for forced pregnancy/breeding, you know I eat dat shit up. 🤌🏻
If yall was confuse where was the groveling at, giving her an orgasm was his groveling y’all, just fyi. 😉
Basic of the story; heroine is his PR tryna clean up his image & hero is a mean unapologetic bully tryna impregnate her. The end. I approved this type of behavior.
Idk how to move on, I’m so depressed & hung up on Tanner. 😭 BayBEEE, the catcher is def a catch ✨ ⚾️
September 24, 2024
UPDATE 2 (September 2024):
I've read a bunch of groveling romances this summer/fall, and I kind of think Tanner's half-assed delulu grovel is my favorite kind 🤣 I might be biased, though.
UPDATE (June 2024):
5⭐️
Kate's books are a masterclass on why we love a Bad Boy™ and why obsession is hot. They don't just embody, but epitomize 'The Fantasy.'
I reread The Catcher because I've been wanting to make memes about it forever, and I am so glad I did because the second time around I loved everything about it, way more than the first time I read it.
The CHEMISTRY between the characters is combustible. Tanner is the hottest kind of scary--unpredictable, dangerous, and obsessed. Never was there a more delulu man than Tanner Courtenay.
Emrys also stood out a lot more this time reading. Though subdued, Emrys is certainly not dull. Even though people gaslight and manipulate her, she has a lot of character. She is tough and trustworthy enough to take on difficult PR problems and get paid massively for it. She's creative, empathetic, and has a strong conscience, as demonstrated by quitting PR for art therapy. She's had to overcome a stutter and now confidently leads major press conferences. And her ideas are not timid--the audacity to force this alphahole go vegan?? stfu, I'm dying 🤣🤣🤣
Even though she's scared of Tanner, she still gets mad and doesn't take his shit lying down, unlike literally everyone else. Our meek little 'doormat' heroine has a bold personality and we love her for it.
I adored the sweet softy x vicious bully pairing!!! Tanner was the WORST but in the BEST way. I am obsessed with his total lack of redeeming qualities. The way he terrified Emrys was palpable, and it was hot. Tanner has a PhD in bullying, specializing in tearing Emrys down, and readers could not be more rabid.
Not to mention, this book is so fucking funny.
The Catcher was a blast to (re)read. There is so much depth here, and I am continuously in awe of Kate Raven's writing.
ORIGINAL REVIEW (March 2024):
4⭐️
Summary:
Emrys Finnegan takes a job doing PR for Phoenix baseball star catcher and notorious troublemaker Tanner Courtenay. Tanner is determined to make Emrys's life hell.
Review:
I now understand what an alphahole is.
This book was addictive. Playful and deranged but also weirdly relatable.
Kate Raven is my new unhinged role model, filling the Jessa-Kane-shaped hole in my life (but with more non-con and less ddlg).
I've read a bunch of groveling romances this summer/fall, and I kind of think Tanner's half-assed delulu grovel is my favorite kind 🤣 I might be biased, though.
UPDATE (June 2024):
5⭐️
Kate's books are a masterclass on why we love a Bad Boy™ and why obsession is hot. They don't just embody, but epitomize 'The Fantasy.'
I reread The Catcher because I've been wanting to make memes about it forever, and I am so glad I did because the second time around I loved everything about it, way more than the first time I read it.
The CHEMISTRY between the characters is combustible. Tanner is the hottest kind of scary--unpredictable, dangerous, and obsessed. Never was there a more delulu man than Tanner Courtenay.
Emrys also stood out a lot more this time reading. Though subdued, Emrys is certainly not dull. Even though people gaslight and manipulate her, she has a lot of character. She is tough and trustworthy enough to take on difficult PR problems and get paid massively for it. She's creative, empathetic, and has a strong conscience, as demonstrated by quitting PR for art therapy. She's had to overcome a stutter and now confidently leads major press conferences. And her ideas are not timid--the audacity to force this alphahole go vegan?? stfu, I'm dying 🤣🤣🤣
Even though she's scared of Tanner, she still gets mad and doesn't take his shit lying down, unlike literally everyone else. Our meek little 'doormat' heroine has a bold personality and we love her for it.
I adored the sweet softy x vicious bully pairing!!! Tanner was the WORST but in the BEST way. I am obsessed with his total lack of redeeming qualities. The way he terrified Emrys was palpable, and it was hot. Tanner has a PhD in bullying, specializing in tearing Emrys down, and readers could not be more rabid.
Not to mention, this book is so fucking funny.
The Catcher was a blast to (re)read. There is so much depth here, and I am continuously in awe of Kate Raven's writing.
ORIGINAL REVIEW (March 2024):
4⭐️
Somehow I had known it would always end here.
He had made good on his threats. He had taken everything away and now he was here to collect.
Summary:
Emrys Finnegan takes a job doing PR for Phoenix baseball star catcher and notorious troublemaker Tanner Courtenay. Tanner is determined to make Emrys's life hell.
Review:
I now understand what an alphahole is.
This book was addictive. Playful and deranged but also weirdly relatable.
Kate Raven is my new unhinged role model, filling the Jessa-Kane-shaped hole in my life (but with more non-con and less ddlg).
March 23, 2024
2.5 stars?? I can’t say this book was “good” but I can say I was compelled to read it straight through and was entertained the entire time. 🤷🏼♀️😅 I think the h only POV is really the explanation there. If I had to be inside this hero’s head, I doubt I would have gotten past chapter 1. Instead I had to keep reading to find out what was happening with this nutcase.
The “hero” is straight garbage and only becomes marginally better at 90%. The heroine kept getting turned on despite that which was weird. Maybe the worst part of the book for me. It’s one thing to have an unredeemable hero but it’s a whole other thing for the h to not respond to him and his outrageous disgusting antics in a normal relatable way. At least at first.
This actually might have been a pretty good book if there’d been even a little bit of depth to any aspect of it. Why was the hero a completely out of control malicious violent sadist with impulse control issues? We know not one single thing about his past other than what his parents do for a living. Why did he think it would be ok to have a groupie give him a bj during a business meeting? He didn’t seem to be all that great at baseball so what was the power he felt he had to get away with such outrageous behavior? Why has he never thought to give his partners pleasure during sex? Why does he latch on and become so obsessed with the h? Why does he go from thinking of the h as a hole to wanting to impregnate and marry her? Why don’t we know anything about the h’s past and family and more about the ex boyfriend? Why is the stutter brought up early but never revisited for resolution? The hero never even knows she has a stutter or that he hurt her feelings. It’s weird.
Lastly, why do these people never talk about anything? Why is she in love with him at the end? They know nothing new about each other. She has no insights on how he operates and why. He’s just a raged out asshole the entire book - she’s terrified of him - and then at the end she “loves” him. Why??
The thing about single POV, something I personally prefer, is that the author then must show us what the other person is thinking and feeling through their actions and conversations. That was completely missing here. I kept reading to learn more, something single POV almost compels you to do… but I never got the payoff. Nothing was ever revealed. No relationship development or character development exists in this book at all. We get all the horrible behavior for 90% of the book and our payoff is wildly disappointing. Turtles don’t make up for the humiliation and terror and physical violence the hero put the heroine through. I needed way more swoon to balance out the crazy. I don’t know why she had “grovel” in the title because there is no grovel present. He sets out to “make the h love him” and goes about it in the most underwhelming way possible. The epilogue was cute but definitely not enough.
Bottom line? Not much romance in this book. Lots of sex but little emotion beyond fear. The sex wasn’t sexy. There was no depth and no payoff…. However, I was glued to this book and do feel like it deserves credit for that. 🤷🏼♀️ So 2.5 stars for the entertaining trashy drama. 🤣
The “hero” is straight garbage and only becomes marginally better at 90%. The heroine kept getting turned on despite that which was weird. Maybe the worst part of the book for me. It’s one thing to have an unredeemable hero but it’s a whole other thing for the h to not respond to him and his outrageous disgusting antics in a normal relatable way. At least at first.
This actually might have been a pretty good book if there’d been even a little bit of depth to any aspect of it. Why was the hero a completely out of control malicious violent sadist with impulse control issues? We know not one single thing about his past other than what his parents do for a living. Why did he think it would be ok to have a groupie give him a bj during a business meeting? He didn’t seem to be all that great at baseball so what was the power he felt he had to get away with such outrageous behavior? Why has he never thought to give his partners pleasure during sex? Why does he latch on and become so obsessed with the h? Why does he go from thinking of the h as a hole to wanting to impregnate and marry her? Why don’t we know anything about the h’s past and family and more about the ex boyfriend? Why is the stutter brought up early but never revisited for resolution? The hero never even knows she has a stutter or that he hurt her feelings. It’s weird.
Lastly, why do these people never talk about anything? Why is she in love with him at the end? They know nothing new about each other. She has no insights on how he operates and why. He’s just a raged out asshole the entire book - she’s terrified of him - and then at the end she “loves” him. Why??
The thing about single POV, something I personally prefer, is that the author then must show us what the other person is thinking and feeling through their actions and conversations. That was completely missing here. I kept reading to learn more, something single POV almost compels you to do… but I never got the payoff. Nothing was ever revealed. No relationship development or character development exists in this book at all. We get all the horrible behavior for 90% of the book and our payoff is wildly disappointing. Turtles don’t make up for the humiliation and terror and physical violence the hero put the heroine through. I needed way more swoon to balance out the crazy. I don’t know why she had “grovel” in the title because there is no grovel present. He sets out to “make the h love him” and goes about it in the most underwhelming way possible. The epilogue was cute but definitely not enough.
Bottom line? Not much romance in this book. Lots of sex but little emotion beyond fear. The sex wasn’t sexy. There was no depth and no payoff…. However, I was glued to this book and do feel like it deserves credit for that. 🤷🏼♀️ So 2.5 stars for the entertaining trashy drama. 🤣
Read
March 7, 2024When you know exactly who the arc readers are 😂😂😂😂👀
Listen......I like a good bully romance if done well and this was not done well. He was just basically an asshole with a professional sports career. Shes hired big bucks to clean up his steroid use and bad behavior. she takes the job because she switched from PR to art therapy and now needs money to not be poor.
You'll like this book if:
- First time he meets her, he throw a ball at the tv and shatters it. Then takes a piece of the glass vase he also broke and scrapes it on her arm. Not enough to bleed but scratch
- grabs her arm, chin and other places hard enough for her to scream out how much he's hurting her
- makes fun of her stutter
- has a random girl sucking his cock while he's supposed to be in a meeting with her. NICE.
- tells her she can't be a dickrider for his other teammates 😂😂🤔
- dunks her head in an ice bath twice to the point that she can't breathe as punishment
Dis tew much!!! 😭😂😂🤦
That was at 25%. This is in her pov (point of view) so he's just a jackass without a reason 🤷🤷😂 got this book as a Facebook group rec and again, they let me down. I no like. At all.
Fuck this shit. Dnf.
Listen......I like a good bully romance if done well and this was not done well. He was just basically an asshole with a professional sports career. Shes hired big bucks to clean up his steroid use and bad behavior. she takes the job because she switched from PR to art therapy and now needs money to not be poor.
You'll like this book if:
- First time he meets her, he throw a ball at the tv and shatters it. Then takes a piece of the glass vase he also broke and scrapes it on her arm. Not enough to bleed but scratch
- grabs her arm, chin and other places hard enough for her to scream out how much he's hurting her
- makes fun of her stutter
- has a random girl sucking his cock while he's supposed to be in a meeting with her. NICE.
- tells her she can't be a dickrider for his other teammates 😂😂🤔
- dunks her head in an ice bath twice to the point that she can't breathe as punishment
Dis tew much!!! 😭😂😂🤦
That was at 25%. This is in her pov (point of view) so he's just a jackass without a reason 🤷🤷😂 got this book as a Facebook group rec and again, they let me down. I no like. At all.
Fuck this shit. Dnf.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 26, 2024
Where the hell was this supposed grovel that's literally in the title of the freakin book???
It's literally a book about a horrible guy taking advantage and raping/sexually assaulting this woman that ended getting freakin Stockholm syndrome and ruining her life.
This is not a safe book for people with triggers and I would never recommend this book to anyone.
The MMC had no redeeming qualities at all and literally forced her to have a meeting with him while he's getting a blowjob, so it was not safe in OW scenes, he also tried to drown her multiple times. Every single sex scene she says no or just gives up because refuses to listen. We're then expected to believe he loves her and wants to marry and get her pregnant (he brutally rips out her birth control ring)
I honestly just felt bad for FMC she's stuck with forever now.
There's so much more things that happen in this novella that just can't be bothered writing.
It's literally a book about a horrible guy taking advantage and raping/sexually assaulting this woman that ended getting freakin Stockholm syndrome and ruining her life.
This is not a safe book for people with triggers and I would never recommend this book to anyone.
The MMC had no redeeming qualities at all and literally forced her to have a meeting with him while he's getting a blowjob, so it was not safe in OW scenes, he also tried to drown her multiple times. Every single sex scene she says no or just gives up because refuses to listen. We're then expected to believe he loves her and wants to marry and get her pregnant (he brutally rips out her birth control ring)
I honestly just felt bad for FMC she's stuck with forever now.
There's so much more things that happen in this novella that just can't be bothered writing.
June 18, 2024
I’m going to be honest,i’ve been going back and forth about this one.
Having read the blurb,and having read the reviews,i was worried i’d hate it.
Having finished the ARC,i can’t say that i did,though….but it’s hard to say how i dó feel.
It did make me think,and that’s always a good thing in my book.
It wasn’t all as straightforward as you’d think….
Yes,Tanner was a bully,and yes i hated him for a long time.
Blackmailing Emrys into staying and putting up with his cruel behaviour was not something that made me like him.
And Emrys really didn’t have any choice but to do what he demanded of her.
She tried to,really she did,but he bulldozered right over her objections.
He forced her to stop taking contraceptives because he wanted to breed her.
He sabotaged the job she loved so much after she left.
And everything he did,was done because he loved her,or so he said.
So,yes….it was a tough story to read.
But at the same time,i couldn’t stop.
Even though i hated him,and even though it hurt what he did.
Because somewhere along the line,don’t ask me why or how,Emrys started to enjoy some of the things he did…
Was that a matter of giving in,or even up?
I don’t know…..
What i do know,is that when he’d crossed the line,and saw her again after she’d left,his behaviour had somewhat softened.
Not by much,but he did apologize,and that was something he’d never done.
And that left me feeling conflicted…..because did he really deserve Emrys?
Having read the blurb,and having read the reviews,i was worried i’d hate it.
Having finished the ARC,i can’t say that i did,though….but it’s hard to say how i dó feel.
It did make me think,and that’s always a good thing in my book.
It wasn’t all as straightforward as you’d think….
Yes,Tanner was a bully,and yes i hated him for a long time.
Blackmailing Emrys into staying and putting up with his cruel behaviour was not something that made me like him.
And Emrys really didn’t have any choice but to do what he demanded of her.
She tried to,really she did,but he bulldozered right over her objections.
He forced her to stop taking contraceptives because he wanted to breed her.
He sabotaged the job she loved so much after she left.
And everything he did,was done because he loved her,or so he said.
So,yes….it was a tough story to read.
But at the same time,i couldn’t stop.
Even though i hated him,and even though it hurt what he did.
Because somewhere along the line,don’t ask me why or how,Emrys started to enjoy some of the things he did…
Was that a matter of giving in,or even up?
I don’t know…..
What i do know,is that when he’d crossed the line,and saw her again after she’d left,his behaviour had somewhat softened.
Not by much,but he did apologize,and that was something he’d never done.
And that left me feeling conflicted…..because did he really deserve Emrys?
avoid
March 18, 2024Self note:
🚩⚠️🚩⚠️🚩⚠️🚩⚠️ Avoid
Has a BJ with OW right in front of the h.
Side note: Do women actually like this? 🤨
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
🚩⚠️🚩⚠️🚩⚠️🚩⚠️ Avoid
Has a BJ with OW right in front of the h.
Side note: Do women actually like this? 🤨
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
March 13, 2025
Where the hell is the grovel? This is marketed as a Bully Grovel romance - it's even in the title. That was literally the only reason I picked it up, even though bully romances aren't usually my thing. I'm too impatient to get to the sweet part when they flip the switch, but this was a shorter book, so I figured I'd love it.
For those who love a good grovel - there is not a shred of even a semblance of that here. Let me break it down for you: the male character (because he's certainly not a hero) abuses her, gets a blow job from another woman while in a meeting with her (gross! I nearly DNFed at that), lets other women hang all over him but she's not allowed to be around other men, brings her abusive ex back into the picture (ironically, he had fewer red flags than the winner she ends up with - boy, does she know how to pick 'em!), rapes her - there is no non-con or dub-con here, it's full on rape so be warned if that's a trigger for you, and blackmails her. He also spends the majority of the book not caring if she has an orgasm - and she doesn't, until near the end.
And the female character (not a heroine by any stretch) is just stupid. She takes the job because it will pay off her debts, even though she doesn't want the job. Then - when he assaults her and belittles her in the first meeting - she's promised a double salary with 50% guaranteed upfront. Well, chick, you just got the full amount needed to pay your debts: problem solved! Call it a day.
No, she's a full blown dumbass through the entire book. This is not a case of Stockholm syndrome, because I'm not convinced she even mildly liked him at the end. She cries out and screams and howls all the time, constantly running away and his teammates have to rescue her, until the night they're not there and he chases her through the hotel and rapes her. She doesn't like his personality, his treatment of her, and gets no sexual satisfaction from him, and she's already guaranteed enough of a paycheck to get out of debt.
And. She. Stays. Why, you may ask? I know I certainly was. I still don't have an answer, because I can't understand characters with no common sense.
I guess the blackmail is the reason...for a little while. Maybe. Even then, she could've circumvented that by telling her boss that someone is trying to ruin her life and she expects them to come forward and do this. Then, when it happens, ta da! Problem solved. But that would take a heroine with a braincell. It's no wonder she had to cheat on her exam - I'm surprised she got through high school.
Now, I expect a bully romance to have a lot of these factors. I also expect the characters to have brains. If there's no reason to stay and they stay, then they are not worth my time. I wanted to DNF a lot. Especially after he follows through on the blackmail, so even that limited shred of a reason to stay (which was a stupid one) wasn't there anymore. But still, groveling is my favorite and I powered through.
I am a big cause and effect person. If the hero is a complete dick, then his grovel should be epic to balance out how he's treated her, and I can forgive a lot (except cheating) if there's a good grovel. So I kept reading. It's gotta be good, based on what he put her through, right?
There is none. And I mean NONE . I cannot stress that word enough. With about 30 pages to go, I even started highlighting what might could be considered an apology. You ready?
After she tells him why she wanted to get away from him (when he told her he was going to drop her at her ex's house and let him do whatever he wanted to her):
Yeah, that's as much of a grovel as you're going to get. Unless you count the end of the book, where she's still not agreeing with him (because, like I said, I don't even think she came close to liking him, much less loving him) and he whines,
I thought he was a disgusting human being when he was getting a BJ in front of her. Little did I know, that was one of the highlights of his personality.
Even then, I would've given this two stars if the editing had been okay. While it's not horrendous, there were a lot of grammar mistakes and the characters' names are even misspelled at times - that's something I have a hard time with, since it happens more than once (once, I easily forgive - back and forth spellings for the same character on one page - nope).
So, I made it to the end. Should've stuck with my instincts at the BJ segment and deleted it and scrubbed it from my memory. At least these two idiots can be alone in their misery together.
For those who love a good grovel - there is not a shred of even a semblance of that here. Let me break it down for you: the male character (because he's certainly not a hero) abuses her, gets a blow job from another woman while in a meeting with her (gross! I nearly DNFed at that), lets other women hang all over him but she's not allowed to be around other men, brings her abusive ex back into the picture (ironically, he had fewer red flags than the winner she ends up with - boy, does she know how to pick 'em!), rapes her - there is no non-con or dub-con here, it's full on rape so be warned if that's a trigger for you, and blackmails her. He also spends the majority of the book not caring if she has an orgasm - and she doesn't, until near the end.
And the female character (not a heroine by any stretch) is just stupid. She takes the job because it will pay off her debts, even though she doesn't want the job. Then - when he assaults her and belittles her in the first meeting - she's promised a double salary with 50% guaranteed upfront. Well, chick, you just got the full amount needed to pay your debts: problem solved! Call it a day.
No, she's a full blown dumbass through the entire book. This is not a case of Stockholm syndrome, because I'm not convinced she even mildly liked him at the end. She cries out and screams and howls all the time, constantly running away and his teammates have to rescue her, until the night they're not there and he chases her through the hotel and rapes her. She doesn't like his personality, his treatment of her, and gets no sexual satisfaction from him, and she's already guaranteed enough of a paycheck to get out of debt.
And. She. Stays. Why, you may ask? I know I certainly was. I still don't have an answer, because I can't understand characters with no common sense.
I guess the blackmail is the reason...for a little while. Maybe. Even then, she could've circumvented that by telling her boss that someone is trying to ruin her life and she expects them to come forward and do this. Then, when it happens, ta da! Problem solved. But that would take a heroine with a braincell. It's no wonder she had to cheat on her exam - I'm surprised she got through high school.
Now, I expect a bully romance to have a lot of these factors. I also expect the characters to have brains. If there's no reason to stay and they stay, then they are not worth my time. I wanted to DNF a lot. Especially after he follows through on the blackmail, so even that limited shred of a reason to stay (which was a stupid one) wasn't there anymore. But still, groveling is my favorite and I powered through.
I am a big cause and effect person. If the hero is a complete dick, then his grovel should be epic to balance out how he's treated her, and I can forgive a lot (except cheating) if there's a good grovel. So I kept reading. It's gotta be good, based on what he put her through, right?
There is none. And I mean NONE . I cannot stress that word enough. With about 30 pages to go, I even started highlighting what might could be considered an apology. You ready?
After she tells him why she wanted to get away from him (when he told her he was going to drop her at her ex's house and let him do whatever he wanted to her):
"You're a little fool, Emrys. I didn't mean that."
Yeah, that's as much of a grovel as you're going to get. Unless you count the end of the book, where she's still not agreeing with him (because, like I said, I don't even think she came close to liking him, much less loving him) and he whines,
"Come on, Em. Fuck. I'm sorry for what I said about Noah."
I thought he was a disgusting human being when he was getting a BJ in front of her. Little did I know, that was one of the highlights of his personality.
Even then, I would've given this two stars if the editing had been okay. While it's not horrendous, there were a lot of grammar mistakes and the characters' names are even misspelled at times - that's something I have a hard time with, since it happens more than once (once, I easily forgive - back and forth spellings for the same character on one page - nope).
So, I made it to the end. Should've stuck with my instincts at the BJ segment and deleted it and scrubbed it from my memory. At least these two idiots can be alone in their misery together.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 25, 2024
The Catcher was bully erotica. In no way, shape or form was this a romance. I’m not even sure I would classify it as dark because honestly it was just toxic obsession.
Tanner is a manwhore. He sexually parades women in front of Emrys several times and demands her complete and undivided attention while doing it. He is violent (and not in a sexy Zoe Blake or Alta Hensley way) toward Emrys and everyone around him. He’s selfish and narcissistic in a way that’s unforgiving. What alpha male gives no f*cks about his woman’s pleasure? Tanner, that’s who.
His attempt at a grovel was lazy and self serving. A completely unhinged psychopath that didn’t have a romantic bone in his body.
Emrys? She wasn’t much better. Unassuming and easily manipulated, she traded one abusive relationship for another and convinced herself she had the fairly tale.
Honestly, she should have had the police involved and maybe a restraining order that lasted a lifetime. Emrys and Tanner never actually had a meaningful conversation. Their connection revolved around Tanner yanking her everywhere and her being forced to make him her entire world down to always having her eyes on him.
Despite all this, I had a sick fascination for Tanner and his piece of property and that’s why this gets 3 stars. I didn’t hate it. I certainly didn’t love it and this book had so many dark red flags making me question my own sanity. The feminist in me definitely took notice but the story was such an unbelievable train wreck, I too found myself obsessed. So kudos to the author.
So if you’re looking for a not entirely safe erotica with a “HEA” and a story that will leave you both disgusted and intrigued with triggers galore, give this a try. I wish we had had Tanner’s POV at least once because I’d love to have understood him a bit better. O well. Anyway, don’t say I didn’t warn you.
“I want you, Emrys, you on your knees in front of me, my cock so far down your throat that you’re gagging and crying. But you don’t stop because you fucking love it there.”
Tanner is a manwhore. He sexually parades women in front of Emrys several times and demands her complete and undivided attention while doing it. He is violent (and not in a sexy Zoe Blake or Alta Hensley way) toward Emrys and everyone around him. He’s selfish and narcissistic in a way that’s unforgiving. What alpha male gives no f*cks about his woman’s pleasure? Tanner, that’s who.
“You’re pissing me off by wanting to run away all the time. And I can see it in your big eyes now. If you could, you would run down this hall and back to your hotel room. And I want to make it so you can’t do that. I’m going to fucking fill you with my cum and make you pregnant so you can’t get away from me.”
His attempt at a grovel was lazy and self serving. A completely unhinged psychopath that didn’t have a romantic bone in his body.
“Slow down,” he warned me. “I want to enjoy you being forced to do this. And look up at me when you suck my cock. I want to see your face.”
Emrys? She wasn’t much better. Unassuming and easily manipulated, she traded one abusive relationship for another and convinced herself she had the fairly tale.
“Baby, you don’t get anything private from me. I want to control everything about you. I want to make sure you don’t run away from me again.”
Honestly, she should have had the police involved and maybe a restraining order that lasted a lifetime. Emrys and Tanner never actually had a meaningful conversation. Their connection revolved around Tanner yanking her everywhere and her being forced to make him her entire world down to always having her eyes on him.
“…He plunged his fingers harshly into my pussy, then slapped my lips with the wet fingers. “So don’t close yourself off to me, ever.”
Despite all this, I had a sick fascination for Tanner and his piece of property and that’s why this gets 3 stars. I didn’t hate it. I certainly didn’t love it and this book had so many dark red flags making me question my own sanity. The feminist in me definitely took notice but the story was such an unbelievable train wreck, I too found myself obsessed. So kudos to the author.
“…everything about you is mine, Emrys Finnegan. I want everything. I’m going to fuck your cunt and your mouth whenever I want to, put my baby in you. And you’re going to love me.”
So if you’re looking for a not entirely safe erotica with a “HEA” and a story that will leave you both disgusted and intrigued with triggers galore, give this a try. I wish we had had Tanner’s POV at least once because I’d love to have understood him a bit better. O well. Anyway, don’t say I didn’t warn you.
“Mine,” he said, his lips nipping at my neck, making me squeal in pain. “Mine.”
July 31, 2025
Updated to add read date #6.
When I say an MMC is a bully, Tanner Courtenay is where the bar is set. You will not find sweet snuggles in this book. I only gave this 3-stars the first time I read it… but I kept coming back again and again. After read #6, it’s obviously 5-stars….. for me – probably not for you, because this book is NOT safe.
Emrys Finnegan (cool name, kindergarten art teacher) quit the PR profession after she burned out. She's very happy teaching art, except it doesn't pay the bills. Her former boss calls, begging her to work with an out-of-control baseball player whose team is willing to pay big bucks to repair his image. She arrives to meet her new client, but Tanner Courtenay (superstar baller, ultimate bully) is less than pleased to have her there. He starts with intimidation and tops it off with being emotionally and physically abusive. It doesn’t take long before Tanner decides he no longer wants to drive her away, instead he wants to keep her….. to himself…. FOREVER.
Tanner’s version of “courtship” is the most psychotic thing you’ll ever see. Eventually….. Emrys just gives up and these two DO get an HEA.
SEX: There’s a lot of it, but it’s probably not going to get your juices flowing. First time is at 40% and it’s at least dubcon…. but it probably crosses that line into noncon for most people. Tanner takes what he wants – you seriously have no say in the matter. The sex between them is always described as painful, nonconsensual, and tearing her apart – BUT she seems to like it. One of the funniest parts of the book is when he decides he wants to breed her. It was definitely the first time I've read anything like his method to ensure she was pregnant.
EMRYS: seriously guys – I love her name. So, you can't even fault her for staying or call her a doormat. She tried many times to leave him, but he literally drug her back kicking and screaming every single time. Poor Em. I honestly felt horrible for her. But in the end she gets a rich husband who worships her so maybe I don’t feel that bad for her.
TANNER: LMFAO what can you say about this man besides psycho bully? You will not find hearts and flowers from him. Tanner tells you what’s going to happen, and if you say no? He’ll do it anyway. There’s no asking. There are no negotiations. Even though he’s awful, some of the horrible things he does are comical because in his mind, it’s just how things are supposed to work. He literally has no clue why she’s being so stubborn about things.
TRIGGERS: 100% emotional abuse, noncon, bullying, physical violence, nonconsensual breeding, threatening, etc, etc. He does and says some AWFUL things, and he keeps doing them up until the 70% mark. That’s when he finally gets the fact that his methods aren’t working. His reply is always, “well you should have known I didn’t mean it”. … Technically - there's no cheating. He does get his dick sucked by someone at the beginning after he first meets Em, but they def weren't a couple at that time.
AUDIO: I haven't listened to the audio. It's narrated by Lexy Dalton, and I'm sure she's perfectly fine - but I've gotten spoiled to duets. If I had a man's voice to listen to then I definitely would purchase this audio.
I think Sonia wrote an amazing review and you should check it out for a second opinion.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
When I say an MMC is a bully, Tanner Courtenay is where the bar is set. You will not find sweet snuggles in this book. I only gave this 3-stars the first time I read it… but I kept coming back again and again. After read #6, it’s obviously 5-stars….. for me – probably not for you, because this book is NOT safe.
“What do you mean, your fiancée?” I cried shrilly. “You better not mean me.”
He frowned, getting up from his chair. “Of course I mean you. Why would I marry anyone else? I love you…. Because you’re the only one I’ve ever wanted. Because I can’t see your skin without wanting to mark it and make it mine. And because you’re soft and sweet and a smartass and all that is mine.”
Emrys Finnegan (cool name, kindergarten art teacher) quit the PR profession after she burned out. She's very happy teaching art, except it doesn't pay the bills. Her former boss calls, begging her to work with an out-of-control baseball player whose team is willing to pay big bucks to repair his image. She arrives to meet her new client, but Tanner Courtenay (superstar baller, ultimate bully) is less than pleased to have her there. He starts with intimidation and tops it off with being emotionally and physically abusive. It doesn’t take long before Tanner decides he no longer wants to drive her away, instead he wants to keep her….. to himself…. FOREVER.
"You’re pissing me off by wanting to run away all the time…… And I want to make it so you can’t do that. I’m going to fucking fill you with my cum and make you pregnant so you can’t get away from me."
Tanner’s version of “courtship” is the most psychotic thing you’ll ever see. Eventually….. Emrys just gives up and these two DO get an HEA.
SEX: There’s a lot of it, but it’s probably not going to get your juices flowing. First time is at 40% and it’s at least dubcon…. but it probably crosses that line into noncon for most people. Tanner takes what he wants – you seriously have no say in the matter. The sex between them is always described as painful, nonconsensual, and tearing her apart – BUT she seems to like it. One of the funniest parts of the book is when he decides he wants to breed her. It was definitely the first time I've read anything like his method to ensure she was pregnant.
“I’m doing this because everything about you is mine, Emrys Finnegan. I want everything. I’m going to fuck your cunt and your mouth whenever I want to, put my baby in you. And you’re going to love me.”
EMRYS: seriously guys – I love her name. So, you can't even fault her for staying or call her a doormat. She tried many times to leave him, but he literally drug her back kicking and screaming every single time. Poor Em. I honestly felt horrible for her. But in the end she gets a rich husband who worships her so maybe I don’t feel that bad for her.
He turned to go. And that was how Tanner Courtenay operated. No requests, no negotiations, no give-and-take. He told me what to do and expected I would do it.
TANNER: LMFAO what can you say about this man besides psycho bully? You will not find hearts and flowers from him. Tanner tells you what’s going to happen, and if you say no? He’ll do it anyway. There’s no asking. There are no negotiations. Even though he’s awful, some of the horrible things he does are comical because in his mind, it’s just how things are supposed to work. He literally has no clue why she’s being so stubborn about things.
TRIGGERS: 100% emotional abuse, noncon, bullying, physical violence, nonconsensual breeding, threatening, etc, etc. He does and says some AWFUL things, and he keeps doing them up until the 70% mark. That’s when he finally gets the fact that his methods aren’t working. His reply is always, “well you should have known I didn’t mean it”. … Technically - there's no cheating. He does get his dick sucked by someone at the beginning after he first meets Em, but they def weren't a couple at that time.
AUDIO: I haven't listened to the audio. It's narrated by Lexy Dalton, and I'm sure she's perfectly fine - but I've gotten spoiled to duets. If I had a man's voice to listen to then I definitely would purchase this audio.
I think Sonia wrote an amazing review and you should check it out for a second opinion.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
March 11, 2024
This could've been really awesome but it needed more depth. I feel like I've had this same issue with a lot of books lately. They want to get to the "good stuff" and forget to throw in any character development in the process. Why is Tanner obsessed with Emrys? What's so special about her besides not really being interested in him? Speaking of Tanner, what are his motivations for pretty much anything? Is he constantly in the throes of roid rage? And if so, how does he manage to miraculously and competently find out the dirt on Em and ruin her life? I have so many questions... Despite all these things, I did finish, which is a feat for me lately, and even managed to enjoy the book for what it is. All in all, if you go in expecting a non/dub con smut fest featuring an unhinged hero, doormat heroine and a decent understanding of the sport being featured, you're probably going to enjoy this.
Read
March 6, 2024What the F is this book??? It's so geniously shitty that it deserves either 5 or 1 star 🤣🤣
“Don’t tell me what to do with her,” Tanner snarled. “She’s mine to do what I fucking want with. I’ll throw what I fucking want at her. You need to stop throwing dumbass pitches.”
I felt like my cheeks were on fire. What did he mean I was his?“
This is pathetic level 2 MILLION, for crying out loud!!
I mean this could probably sell as erotica, certainly not romance, but the Hero was so f*cked up in the head that even dark romance is kinda awkward.
I'm SO TORN, I've decided leave this one without rating. Three stars would be laugh in the face of those mediocre boring romances I usually devour, 1 star is not enough to capture this ingenious work of art 😂 and five stars would be overrating it... Ufff...
April 4, 2024
lol Tanner is completely obsessed, overbearing, and oblivious. He gives off elements of dumb but cunning jock, and I enjoyed every minute of him. Unbelievable. The forced bjs, the frequent and repeated sex, the breeding attempts, the blackmail and chasing, poor Emrys didn’t stand a chance against him. He could come across as completely selfish, but she loved his domineering ways.
I would have loved reading his perspective as without it, it read very one-sided. I wasn’t able to assess Tanner’s feelings through Emrys’ mind in the writing.
Some readers are going to have issue with this story and consider it non conny, but I loved it for what it was. Great pace and spicy, but not that much character or story depth other than “she’s mine” and marking and claiming her as his. Some humorous moments, shaking your head moments, because really, Tanner was simply audacious.
Great story. Oh and there was no grovel, just the way I like bad boys.
I would have loved reading his perspective as without it, it read very one-sided. I wasn’t able to assess Tanner’s feelings through Emrys’ mind in the writing.
Some readers are going to have issue with this story and consider it non conny, but I loved it for what it was. Great pace and spicy, but not that much character or story depth other than “she’s mine” and marking and claiming her as his. Some humorous moments, shaking your head moments, because really, Tanner was simply audacious.
Great story. Oh and there was no grovel, just the way I like bad boys.
April 26, 2024
Running away because Tanner is immediately OTT but it did something to me. Emrys and Tanner are perfect for each other. Loved her insecurities that he pounced on. This would have read as crueller had it not been for the humour. Therefore, I really was able to roll with it. Especially when Tanner is constantly telling her not to run away from him and she's constantly finding a new birth control to get on.
And no one mentioned her hilarious Powerpoint presentation that I snickered loudly about. Not her POV saying she is helpfully zooming in at 75% an IG comment about how Tanner sucks ass throwing or catching or whatever but at least they are not mentioning the steroids. PUBLIC RELATIONS!
I really, really love the author's writing style! Fast-paced, relatable heroine POV, funny at times and sexy.
And no one mentioned her hilarious Powerpoint presentation that I snickered loudly about. Not her POV saying she is helpfully zooming in at 75% an IG comment about how Tanner sucks ass throwing or catching or whatever but at least they are not mentioning the steroids. PUBLIC RELATIONS!
I really, really love the author's writing style! Fast-paced, relatable heroine POV, funny at times and sexy.
March 15, 2024
This was an abusive relationship from the beginning to the end. There was absolutely no grovelling at all even though the title says there would be.
September 30, 2024
well this was horrifying
March 7, 2024
2.5 unhinged stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️
It's written only in the FMC'S point of view, and this is one of the reasons for not completely understanding the MMC. I wanted to read his thoughts and understand his motivation for some of his decisions. Because men, he was insane, insensitive and had no remorse (until, let's say, the last 20 % of the book, because even then, he was actually pissed that she's not loving him yet, not that he was sorry he was an ass from the first moment they met).
In my opinion, he did try some groveling, but yeah, that wasn't it 😂. He needed a coach in groveling 101 because that definitely wasn't even the start of a good groveling.
He basically bulldozed himself into her life because HE WANTED TO!! (again, not sure why her, and not anyone else)
I wanted to understand what was driving his obsession and his out of nowhere love & OTT jealousy and possessiveness. Especially since he was, in the beginning, verbally and physically abusive. Some of his actions shocked me for a few moments. And realistically, this is the main reason for dropping the rating to 3*. Because I'm all in for an unapologetic, obsessive, all mine mine mine type of hero, but not when he "punishes" the FMC like that ;). He also needed anger management therapy or something 😳😂.
Now, if the author writes this book from his POV as well, I WILL DEFINITELY BE BACK!! 🫢😂🫣😳
.
.
PS: This one is NOT for everyone! Just stay away if you don't like bullying / non con / manhandling, some OW drama (before they are "officially" together, but the scene was ick), etc.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
It's written only in the FMC'S point of view, and this is one of the reasons for not completely understanding the MMC. I wanted to read his thoughts and understand his motivation for some of his decisions. Because men, he was insane, insensitive and had no remorse (until, let's say, the last 20 % of the book, because even then, he was actually pissed that she's not loving him yet, not that he was sorry he was an ass from the first moment they met).
In my opinion, he did try some groveling, but yeah, that wasn't it 😂. He needed a coach in groveling 101 because that definitely wasn't even the start of a good groveling.
He basically bulldozed himself into her life because HE WANTED TO!! (again, not sure why her, and not anyone else)
I wanted to understand what was driving his obsession and his out of nowhere love & OTT jealousy and possessiveness. Especially since he was, in the beginning, verbally and physically abusive. Some of his actions shocked me for a few moments. And realistically, this is the main reason for dropping the rating to 3*. Because I'm all in for an unapologetic, obsessive, all mine mine mine type of hero, but not when he "punishes" the FMC like that ;). He also needed anger management therapy or something 😳😂.
Now, if the author writes this book from his POV as well, I WILL DEFINITELY BE BACK!! 🫢😂🫣😳
.
.
PS: This one is NOT for everyone! Just stay away if you don't like bullying / non con / manhandling, some OW drama (before they are "officially" together, but the scene was ick), etc.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 12, 2024
【 5★ 】~ “𝑫𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒓𝒖𝒏, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒓𝒖𝒏 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒎𝒆.”
➥ Type: Standalone
➥ Tropes: MF, Sports Romance, Enemies to Lovers, Dark Romance, Touch Her and 💀, obsession.
➥ Steamy: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
➥ TW: forced breeding, nonconsent, spitting, birth control tampering, bullying, blackmail, very aggressive groveling.
-`ღ´-〔 Emrys used to work in a wild world of PR, but she felt it wasn't her scene anymore. Just when she thought about moving on, she got an offer she couldn't resist. Enter Tanner, a big-shot baseball player known for being both scary and admired. He's not just your typical bad boy; he's a larger-than-life, super intense alpha male with a temper. Tanner is like a warning sign waving in the wind. But for Emrys, there's something strangely captivating about this risky romance. It's a fast-paced, thrilling story of love, power, and the dangerous dance between them. 〕-`ღ´-
જ⁀➴ “𝚈𝚘𝚞’𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚘𝚗𝚕𝚢 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝙸’𝚟𝚎 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚍. 𝙸 𝚌𝚊𝚗’𝚝 𝚜𝚎𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚜𝚔𝚒𝚗 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚖𝚊𝚛𝚔 𝚒𝚝 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚖𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚒𝚝 𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚎. 𝙰𝚗𝚍 𝚋𝚎𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞’𝚛𝚎 𝚜𝚘𝚏𝚝 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚝 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚊 𝚜𝚖𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚊𝚜𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚒𝚜 𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚎.”
જ⁀➴ “𝙸’𝚕𝚕 𝚏𝚞𝚌𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚔𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚊𝚗𝚢𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚝𝚘𝚞𝚌𝚑. 𝙱𝚎𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞’𝚛𝚎 𝚐𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚖𝚢 𝚠𝚒𝚏𝚎.”
➥ Type: Standalone
➥ Tropes: MF, Sports Romance, Enemies to Lovers, Dark Romance, Touch Her and 💀, obsession.
➥ Steamy: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
➥ TW: forced breeding, nonconsent, spitting, birth control tampering, bullying, blackmail, very aggressive groveling.
-`ღ´-〔 Emrys used to work in a wild world of PR, but she felt it wasn't her scene anymore. Just when she thought about moving on, she got an offer she couldn't resist. Enter Tanner, a big-shot baseball player known for being both scary and admired. He's not just your typical bad boy; he's a larger-than-life, super intense alpha male with a temper. Tanner is like a warning sign waving in the wind. But for Emrys, there's something strangely captivating about this risky romance. It's a fast-paced, thrilling story of love, power, and the dangerous dance between them. 〕-`ღ´-
જ⁀➴ “𝚈𝚘𝚞’𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚘𝚗𝚕𝚢 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝙸’𝚟𝚎 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚍. 𝙸 𝚌𝚊𝚗’𝚝 𝚜𝚎𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚜𝚔𝚒𝚗 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚖𝚊𝚛𝚔 𝚒𝚝 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚖𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚒𝚝 𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚎. 𝙰𝚗𝚍 𝚋𝚎𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞’𝚛𝚎 𝚜𝚘𝚏𝚝 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚝 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚊 𝚜𝚖𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚊𝚜𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚒𝚜 𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚎.”
જ⁀➴ “𝙸’𝚕𝚕 𝚏𝚞𝚌𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚔𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚊𝚗𝚢𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚝𝚘𝚞𝚌𝚑. 𝙱𝚎𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞’𝚛𝚎 𝚐𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚖𝚢 𝚠𝚒𝚏𝚎.”
November 10, 2024
As a Kate Raven fan, I always intended to get around to this one eventually, but I knew the bully trope put it a little outside my comfort zone. Lucky for me, I got to experience it as an audiobook, which is, I think, the ideal way to read it. Here's a wild confession that might get my dark romance reader badge revoked: I'm not sure I ever truly understood the n0nc0n trope before listening to this performance. Lexy Dalton sells the I hate him, I want him, and I hate that I want him factor so beautifully, the trope suddenly made sense to me. When I read, I hear what amounts to a full cast audiobook in my head, but the "actors" can only deliver performances of which my own mind can conceive. This performance is a revelation for me.
She also makes Tanner strangely likable by conveying such petulance, making him less vicious than emotionally immature, and therefore easier to root for. By the end, I actually like this guy and believe in his grovel tortoises.
She also makes Tanner strangely likable by conveying such petulance, making him less vicious than emotionally immature, and therefore easier to root for. By the end, I actually like this guy and believe in his grovel tortoises.
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April 24, 2024
1.5 stars
I'm going to keep this review short because I just started reading this author and I'm enjoying her books. The Catcher was terrible for me. Now it did say bully which I don't enjoy but I thought I would try it anyway. Not only is Tanner a big jerk and bully he is abusive towards Emry's, and I just couldn't deal with it. Emry is the biggest doormat with absolutely no backbone which are my least favorite h's. Tanner is blackmailing her, so she is forced to do whatever he wants. He marks her up and not in a sexy way and leaves her unable to walk at times. For the entire book he basically uses her as a doll, and she is given absolutely no pleasure he just takes. Also, the number of times she cried out for help was ridiculous because then we are expected to believe they are in love.
I'm going to keep this review short because I just started reading this author and I'm enjoying her books. The Catcher was terrible for me. Now it did say bully which I don't enjoy but I thought I would try it anyway. Not only is Tanner a big jerk and bully he is abusive towards Emry's, and I just couldn't deal with it. Emry is the biggest doormat with absolutely no backbone which are my least favorite h's. Tanner is blackmailing her, so she is forced to do whatever he wants. He marks her up and not in a sexy way and leaves her unable to walk at times. For the entire book he basically uses her as a doll, and she is given absolutely no pleasure he just takes. Also, the number of times she cried out for help was ridiculous because then we are expected to believe they are in love.
April 8, 2024
I was really confused with what I was reading at first. I thought this was supposed to be a dark romance but it reads like a comedy. Dark romance has a very morose tone, you’re supposed to feel uncomfortable while reading it and that didn’t happen here. The only times I felt uncomfortable weren’t because of the angst but because of the cringe. Ugh with the spitting in the hs mouth 🤢🤮. It finally dawned on me what this book actually was though, it’s campy. The H standing outside the hs hotel room saying “You can’t run from me” totally created this light bulb moment where I was like “OMG this is campy!!” The H is a perfect OTT campy horror protagonist. He reminded me of a mix of Chucky and Jack from The Shining. Once I finally pegged down the genre then I had a lot of fun with this. You can’t take it seriously, it’s just too ridiculous. A dude this unhinged would never have even have made it the minors let alone to the majors.
I do think it’s a big mistake to have the word grovel in the little tagline. I don’t need a grovel but when you claim this is going to be a grovel romance then you need to actually have something there. The grovel is him giving her a tortoise because he thinks she likes tortoises just because she didn’t want one to die one time. Errmm, okie. This dude is clueless. Chucky, amirite??
The forced “I love you” on her end because she thought he might be hurt was not satisfying at all. I wanted a bigger moment for her. Awww so sweet, she loves him because she’ll bring a brick to his fight! Totally campy!!
My biggest complaint: the lack of emotions all around. There is no emotion in the writing. She’s “mad” at him in the last bit of the book and it drives him crazy but as the reader I really couldn’t tell that things were any different aside from the character saying it. Their situation and reactions were the exact same all the way through the book. It would have been more effective if we really saw and felt the h change and his frustrations increase. He was a f*ck in the first half and a f*ck in the second half. 🤷🏻♀️ I’m not really sure what was supposed to be different about either of their feelings?
Overall: 2.5, I need more of the lovey dovey stuff when we have a H who waterboards the h for it to feel satisfying as a romance. She asks the H why he likes her and his answers were shallow and BS. I don’t know why the h likes him….because she doesn’t want him hurt? 🤷🏻♀️
I do think it’s a big mistake to have the word grovel in the little tagline. I don’t need a grovel but when you claim this is going to be a grovel romance then you need to actually have something there. The grovel is him giving her a tortoise because he thinks she likes tortoises just because she didn’t want one to die one time. Errmm, okie. This dude is clueless. Chucky, amirite??
The forced “I love you” on her end because she thought he might be hurt was not satisfying at all. I wanted a bigger moment for her. Awww so sweet, she loves him because she’ll bring a brick to his fight! Totally campy!!
My biggest complaint: the lack of emotions all around. There is no emotion in the writing. She’s “mad” at him in the last bit of the book and it drives him crazy but as the reader I really couldn’t tell that things were any different aside from the character saying it. Their situation and reactions were the exact same all the way through the book. It would have been more effective if we really saw and felt the h change and his frustrations increase. He was a f*ck in the first half and a f*ck in the second half. 🤷🏻♀️ I’m not really sure what was supposed to be different about either of their feelings?
Overall: 2.5, I need more of the lovey dovey stuff when we have a H who waterboards the h for it to feel satisfying as a romance. She asks the H why he likes her and his answers were shallow and BS. I don’t know why the h likes him….because she doesn’t want him hurt? 🤷🏻♀️
March 17, 2024
Don’t ask me
I said what I said, and I don’t know why this was just good for me, but it was just good.
I like a very toxic relationship, and this gave me all that and more I just wish it was longer and kind of more plotted out.
I said what I said, and I don’t know why this was just good for me, but it was just good.
I like a very toxic relationship, and this gave me all that and more I just wish it was longer and kind of more plotted out.
March 12, 2024
The MMC is definitely crazy in this one 😳. The only part I actually liked tbh. This is only 3 stars because I managed to finish it and the toxicity was there even if the quality wasn't.
March 10, 2024
This book is hilarious. MMC is unhinged 😂
January 10, 2025
My Rating: 3 ⭐⭐⭐
We Have
✅ M/F Romance
✅ Dark Romance
✅ Dom/Sub Dynamics (not fully consensual)
✅ DubCon
✅ NonCon
✅ OTT Possessive MMC
✅ Breeding Kink
✅ Short Read (<300 pages)
This book was wild! The contention between the MMC and FMC was insane, and OMG, OTT possessive doesn’t even begin to cover it. This man was absolutely unhinged—and why am I swooning over him?! 😏
This is 100% a book where you NEED to check the trigger warnings. It’s dark, aggressive, and goes from 0 to 100 real quick. I mean from invisible to MINE in a page turn.
Now, I know some people will think this book is awful because the MMC is borderline abusive, but meh... if he doesn’t chase you down and get you fired from your job, does he even really love you? LOL.
My only real complaint? The FMC. I cannot stand a weak FMC. There were several moments where she clearly held all the power, and she just... nothing... DID NOTHING. I’m all for a man taking charge, but come on—I ain't no punk bitch. I'm down to tussle once or twice dammit!
Long story short, this book is dark, aggressive, angsty, and... well, I don’t even know what else to call it without spoiling things. But if you like that vibe, definitely check it out. If any kind of SA or bullying bothers you, skip this one. Clearly, I’m unhinged because this was yummy. 😏
We Have
✅ M/F Romance
✅ Dark Romance
✅ Dom/Sub Dynamics (not fully consensual)
✅ DubCon
✅ NonCon
✅ OTT Possessive MMC
✅ Breeding Kink
✅ Short Read (<300 pages)
This book was wild! The contention between the MMC and FMC was insane, and OMG, OTT possessive doesn’t even begin to cover it. This man was absolutely unhinged—and why am I swooning over him?! 😏
This is 100% a book where you NEED to check the trigger warnings. It’s dark, aggressive, and goes from 0 to 100 real quick. I mean from invisible to MINE in a page turn.
Now, I know some people will think this book is awful because the MMC is borderline abusive, but meh... if he doesn’t chase you down and get you fired from your job, does he even really love you? LOL.
My only real complaint? The FMC. I cannot stand a weak FMC. There were several moments where she clearly held all the power, and she just... nothing... DID NOTHING. I’m all for a man taking charge, but come on—I ain't no punk bitch. I'm down to tussle once or twice dammit!
Long story short, this book is dark, aggressive, angsty, and... well, I don’t even know what else to call it without spoiling things. But if you like that vibe, definitely check it out. If any kind of SA or bullying bothers you, skip this one. Clearly, I’m unhinged because this was yummy. 😏
July 3, 2024
This would be a very minority cup of tea but I had fun reading it!
I'm not going to bother sugarcoating it but the MMC is a bully and horrible towards the FMC even after he loves her. In fact, you won't know he loves her until he says it since he treated her the same abusive way.
What to expect: Relentless pursuit/ Tampering with Birth Control medications/ Breeding king/ Excessive amount of BJs and sex/ Hero learns with time how to give women pleasure cuz he never cared to make a woman come before the FMC/ Blackmail/ Threatening and making those threats come true/ Obsessive irrational jealousy/ Mild but twisted physical abuse (like holding the FMC nose so she can open her mouth for his tongue/ Covering her with shreds of glass/ Rough spanking...)
Ps: the author wrote (A Bully Grovel Romance), even if the word "groveling" is mentioned in the pages, NO the hero did not grovel. And I liked him better that way honestly.
I'm not going to bother sugarcoating it but the MMC is a bully and horrible towards the FMC even after he loves her. In fact, you won't know he loves her until he says it since he treated her the same abusive way.
What to expect: Relentless pursuit/ Tampering with Birth Control medications/ Breeding king/ Excessive amount of BJs and sex/ Hero learns with time how to give women pleasure cuz he never cared to make a woman come before the FMC/ Blackmail/ Threatening and making those threats come true/ Obsessive irrational jealousy/ Mild but twisted physical abuse (like holding the FMC nose so she can open her mouth for his tongue/ Covering her with shreds of glass/ Rough spanking...)
Ps: the author wrote (A Bully Grovel Romance), even if the word "groveling" is mentioned in the pages, NO the hero did not grovel. And I liked him better that way honestly.
April 27, 2024
3.25 stars
This was a surprise. I don’t even know why I liked this. This had so many things I hate but I was thoroughly invested from start to finish.
One thing I don’t understand is the “grovel” in the title. Either I am blind or the title is misleading because there is no groveling.
I have to say, Tanner is one of the biggest assholes I’ve ever read, and that’s not putting it lightly. I questioned myself many times if he actually loved her but his unapologetic personality……I just loved it. He carried this novel because the heroine was just….meh! I don’t hate her but she was way too spineless for my liking.
Normally, I like my heroes calm and calculative than violent and my heroines to have some sort of spine. This book was the complete opposite and I still ate it up. Somehow the author made it all work. +the breeding kink with his obsession *chef’s kiss*
This was a surprise. I don’t even know why I liked this. This had so many things I hate but I was thoroughly invested from start to finish.
One thing I don’t understand is the “grovel” in the title. Either I am blind or the title is misleading because there is no groveling.
I have to say, Tanner is one of the biggest assholes I’ve ever read, and that’s not putting it lightly. I questioned myself many times if he actually loved her but his unapologetic personality……I just loved it. He carried this novel because the heroine was just….meh! I don’t hate her but she was way too spineless for my liking.
Normally, I like my heroes calm and calculative than violent and my heroines to have some sort of spine. This book was the complete opposite and I still ate it up. Somehow the author made it all work. +the breeding kink with his obsession *chef’s kiss*
April 11, 2024
I have to give this 4 stars because I didn’t skim. The story can’t be that deep— it’s only 167 pages. Tanner is a famous baseball player with a bad boy reputation. Emery’s is hire as his PR person. He does a lot of questionable things right off the bat— literally he breaks a light fixture over her head with his bat. What this book boils down to is a D/s tpe with cnc and breeding although those terms aren’t used.. but if you have ever read any of those tropes in books by Annabel Joseph etc. .. that’s what this is. Tanner starts taking control of Emerys right away despite her no’s and her fear of him. She always lets him have his way. I’ve read complaints about the lack of grovel but if you look at it as D/s book . You don’t expect it. I thought it was an interesting quick read that kept me turning the pages.
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