Close Protection
Small power bottom manhandling a big hunky guy at his taste. Hot sex. Plenty of smexy times. What's not to like?
The book is very long, but it doesn't feel that way. Imagine, 890 pages. I had to charge my kindle because the battery didn't last (not that I always remember to charge it, anyway). My mother words: "You read this book and it never ends but you can't stop reading, and when you are not reading it, you think about reading it". I think that thought is compatible with my own.
If I judge the book with a minimum of objectivity I have to admit it sounds like sci-fi if not like soap opera. I criticized in [b:Play Me, I'm Yours|17609253|Play Me, I'm Yours|Madison Parker|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1363142868s/17609253.jpg|21947627], YA, that one of the MCs was into BDSM before beginning the relationship with the other MC. But in that book it felt like an eyesore: it wasn't meant to be there. Here Luca has been controlling men around since he's 16 and he has slept with more people than he can count. But his personality matched up his actions. His confident presence was displayed in cocky and nonchalant provocations and shameless manipulations. He exploits his looks, charm and charisma to play with people's desires, in a praying mantis sort of way. He has such a remarkable personality I never doubted of his power to handling men like puppets. He was the whole time taking the lead and he has everybody wrapped around his little finger.
That's why his mother only hires female bodyguards or ugly males... except for Ryder, what was she thinking?
Ryder is a righteous and honorable person and professional to the bitter end, so he doesn't bend to Luca's insistence, which doesn't mean it's a piece of cake to reject Luca's insinuations. An ex-soldier himself, he is strict and assertive, and his principal looks for new ways in his repertoire to push all his buttons, trying to shatter his impassive attitude.
Which was fun as fuck.
Don't get it wrong. It's a tar baby, of course. But this story was also oh-so-very-sweet. I didn't expect it. Yes, my mother kept telling me I had to read the book because they were "so cute" and she knows I can't resist cute characters. It's my weakness. And when the sweetness is in a "mature" sort of book (meaning, not YA), I just got more curious.
Luca has just been expelled from his third boarding school in Switzerland due to "improper behavior" and you can guess which kind of. No other school accepts him so he is forced to come back home in the States, which is dangerous as hell, as menaces are more real than in Europe. That's when Ryder becomes the leader of the bodyguard team and has to prevent those menaces from coming true. If that wasn't enough, the shit hits the fan when Luca begins receiving letters and presents with connections to his past from a person who calls himself "the Admirer", and his modus operandi suggests he's serious about his intentions and that he is supported by a mole in the house.
The mystery doesn't call my attention as much as the love story. Luca has never been exclusive, and he demonstrates it. Ryder tries to distance himself from Luca but at the same time he can't help himself from sharing his opinions about Luca's definition of a hobby. Jealousy and possessiveness take place in a normal basis, from both sides. When one of them wants, the other one gives his back. When the roles are reversed, it happens equally. This dance sounds frustrating and childish but it's not. There are issues Luca and Ryder have to sort out, inside their heads and in the core of their relationship. Ryder can't think about being the boyfriend of a 18-year-old, whereas Luca doesn't think he can control his need to control and sacrifice an important part of himself. At first you believe there is no way for them to find a common path, to reconcile their desires and feelings. But the advantage of having a book so long is that there is enough time and space for the characters to evolve and change coming to terms with their consciences and natures.
Did I mention the sex is hot? There are power exchanges, too. Just saying.
Don't let the length of the book discourage you. It's worth it.
You're the Only One I Want
