The Auction by Sadie Kincaid is the latest novel by the queen of mafia romance, but although it takes place in the same world, this one is a little different. It’s an age gap dark romance, but it’s even darker than her usual fare. With a remarkably naive heroine and a reclusive billionaire, not to mention the sex trafficking that sets up the book’s premise, this book has an intense plot with all the spice that Kincaid’s readers love so well.
Imogen was only a child when her fate was sealed, to be sold at an auction run by the Brotherhood to atone for her father’s treachery. Now twenty-one, it’s time for her to stand on the auction block and pay the price.
When she’s purchased by Lincoln Knight, a famous but reclusive billionaire, she’s determined not to let him break her. But when she gets to his manor, nothing is as she expected and nothing like what she was trained for.
Lincoln is a former member of the Brotherhood, and he wants nothing more than to take them down. Nothing more, except Imogen. He once promised to protect her, and he failed. He won’t let that happen again. He wants her, but he can’t have her.
It takes some time to warm up to the characters in The Auction. Lincoln is sort of giving Batman vibes, which is wild. Imogen is fierce in the beginning, but turns meek before regaining her fire little by little as the story goes on.
Imogen is a tough character to read. She’s naive and at times childlike, but not in a kink way, although it often blends together with these characters’ sexuality. It leaves the reader a little confused and off-beat.
The spice is, of course, as hot as ever. It’s more than a little taboo, but the sex scenes are remarkably well-written. This author truly has a gift, and even with the slow burn, the spice is the most memorable part of this book.
The Auction is fast-paced, with a plot that doesn’t lack in drama. There are family secrets, betrayals, and scars, both internal and external, that shape the plot.
The writing style is different in this book from what I’ve come to expect from Sadie Kincaid. I’ve read dozens of her books, and this one doesn’t feel the same. There are some weird cadences and some random exclamation points, which is unusual.
The Auction ends in a shocking cliffhanger, made more so by the fact that I didn’t realize this wasn’t a standalone until the last few pages. My jaw dropped to the floor when I turned the final page and realized it was over. Despite my issues with this book, I will absolutely be reading the next one, The Game, when it comes out on November 3rd, 2026.
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