Praise

Charlie is one of the narrators and protagonists of Praise. Her character arc in the novel focuses primarily on the theme of Sexual Confidence as a Path to Self-Worth, showing how her growing understanding of her sexual desires leads to increased self-esteem.

At the beginning of the novel, Charlie has recently left her boyfriend, Beau, realizing that he has made her feel bad about herself throughout their relationship by constantly criticizing and mocking her. She recognizes in herself a desire to please others, and she sees this as originating in her father Jimmy’s abandonment. Jimmy left his family after Charlie’s teenaged sister, Sophie, came out as transgender. This abandonment has left Charlie with a deep-seated fear that she is unworthy of being loved. She initially sees this as evidence that her interest in kink is maladaptive, though she later comes to disconnect the two since practicing kink makes her feel empowered and confident. Charlie is enormously protective of Sophie, with whom she is very close.

Charlie first meets Emerson when she tries to retrieve her part of the security deposit for the apartment that she once shared with Beau. Emerson initially mistakes her for one of his kink partners and commands her to kneel. Charlie immediately does so, surprising herself with her own obedience and the pleasure she derives from following his orders. Emerson is embarrassed when he realizes his mistake. He later offers Charlie a job as his secretary, which she accepts because she needs money to help support her family. She is intrigued by Emerson’s sex club, the Salacious Players’ Club, and begins dressing more provocatively at work because she is attracted to Emerson. This is a personal development that makes her feel more confident in her appearance. She also becomes fascinated in learning more about kink. Though she is initially concerned that her desire for erotic praise contradicts her feminist values, she ultimately comes to see Dom-sub relationships as empowering. She further concludes that embracing sexual desires without shame is particularly empowering to women.

Charlie struggles with feeling inadequate throughout the novel, something that she connects both to her sexual attractiveness and her anxieties about the economic disparity between her and Emerson. She also worries that Emerson is only attracted to her submissive persona that she equates with the name “Charlotte,” rather than to her as a person. She frets when he sees her in situations where she functions as simply “Charlie,” such as when she is among her family members. She uses this division to think of the difference between her sense of power and “perfection” when engaging in kink and her actual imperfect life. Gradually, she sees that Emerson likes both sides of her, which makes her feel desirable and confident. Toward the end of the novel, she breaks up with Emerson after he dismisses their relationship, showing her growth as a character and her belief in her own self-worth. However, they reconcile after Charlie is convinced that Emerson cares for her and not just the persona she affects during their kink play. At the end of the novel, she and Emerson have agreed to a long-term relationship that is based in both emotional and sexual connection.

Beau is Emerson’s son and Charlie’s ex-boyfriend. Though he begins the novel as a minor antagonist, as he was unkind to Charlie during his relationship with her, he and Charlie eventually reconcile and agree to remain friends. Beau is the protagonist in Mercy, the fourth book in the Salacious Players’ Club series.

Beau is a highly dynamic character in the novel. He is the primary reason why Emerson does not give in to his affection or desire for Charlie in the early chapters. Emerson also briefly tries to get Beau and Charlie back together; this is something that Beau is open to but Charlie refuses, citing Beau’s emotional immaturity. Beau eventually admits that his tendency to blame others for his problems is maladaptive. He works to embrace his own role in his problems and makes progress in this by the end of the novel, as reflected in his improving relationship with his father.

Beau also disapproves of the Salacious Players’ Club, which is what led to the initial rift between him and his father. He is disgusted by kink and  represents anti-kink ideologies that are broadly present in society. When he articulates this disgust, the novel uses it as an opportunity to highlight the positive psychological impact of kink on its practitioners and to advocate for open-mindedness as part of its discussion of Acceptance and Judgment About Sexuality. At the end of the novel, Beau offers begrudging acceptance of Emerson’s club and his relationship with Charlie.

Sophie is Charlie’s younger sister; she functions as a moral compass in the novel, as her primary stake in the text is in seeing her sister happy. Charlie is extremely protective of Sophie, particularly since their father left the family after Sophie came out as transgender. Jimmy felt that Sophie should hide her gender identity and remain masculine presenting, as he valued his social image over his daughter’s happiness.

Sophie and Charlie have a private shorthand that involves asking if the other is happy, a question that they developed to demand honesty about what is happening in each other’s lives. Sophie’s perspective on Charlie’s happiness helps Charlie embrace her relationship with Emerson, as Sophie notices that she is happy and positive since meeting him. Sophie further helps Charlie’s self-image by crediting her own confidence in Charlie’s support.

Sophie also facilitates Emerson and Charlie’s reconciliation; when Jimmy arrives at the house, spewing anti-trans and sex-negative rhetoric, Sophie calls Emerson for help. Her show of trust emphasizes to Charlie that Emerson is supportive and caring beyond their sexual relationship.

Drake is a contractor who works at the Salacious Players’ Club. He serves largely as a foil to Emerson in the novel; he flirts with Charlie at various points, which infuriates Emerson and propels him to act on his own desire for Charlie. Drake is an outsider at the club insofar as he is presented as being “vanilla,” a term that designates those who do not practice any form of kink in their lives. (This characterization is upended later in the series, as Drake is one of the protagonists of Give Me More, the third installment in the series. Each protagonist engages in a different form of kink.) In Praise, Drake is presented as being gregarious and flirtatious, which helps Charlie see that embracing her sexuality can be lighthearted and fun.