Praise

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of transgender discrimination, emotional abuse, and sexual content.

Emerson is one of the narrators and protagonists of Praise. He is one of the founding members of the Salacious Players’ Club, a private club that caters to kink practitioners. Emerson prefers Dominant-submissive sexual relationships, and he is a Dominant. At the start of the novel, he seeks a partner who delights in submission and finds satisfaction in being praised for obeying his orders. However, he repeatedly encounters submissive partners who enjoy a “brat” dynamic, where they intentionally misbehave to provoke negative attention or punishment. This is not Emerson’s preferred dynamic.

Emerson also seeks a reconciliation with his adult son, Beau, with whom he has been estranged ever since Beau learned that Emerson is a partner at a sex club. Emerson frequently reflects that he feels “desperate” to regain his son’s affection, and he is motivated to do whatever it takes to regain Beau’s affection. This leads him to hire Charlie, Beau’s ex-girlfriend, as his secretary, hoping that this connection will lead Beau back to him. Emerson’s growing attraction to Charlie causes him significant anxiety, as he worries that their relationship is inappropriate, given the age difference between them, Charlie’s former relationship with Beau, and Emerson’s status as Charlie’s employer.