Close Protection

Close Protection by Cordelia Kingsbridge

After three consecutive expulsions for sexual misconduct, Luca D'Amato has no choice but to return to America. Jacob Ryder is the man charged with protecting him from his family's many enemies – but who will protect Ryder from Luca?
Banner Credit: Helen

Rosie Thinks: Undoubtedly, this is one of my very favourite slash stories on fictionpress (and believe me when I say I've read a lot of them!), so I was more than happy to take this off a fellow judge's hands! As the summary suggests, this story is about a bodyguard (Ryder) being assigned to guard a troublesome, billionaire's heir (Luca). But this summary doesn't even begin to describe the amazingly well developed characters within or the action-packed, surprise filled plot line. It is so original that I seriously could never guess where Cordelia Kingsbridge would take the story next. Her plot just keeps adding more layers and becoming more intricate that you will become lost in it (in a good way, of course!).

Onto the characters, which I don't think I can do justice at all. Luca is such a complex character, the like of which I've never seen before. He has some serious issues, resulting in him becoming addicted to gaining power (generally sexual) over very powerful men. The insight I got into his mind made me truly understand him as a character and really like him through all his faults. His development throughout the story is so well-written and well integrated, that I didn't even notice until I compared the Luca at the beginning to the one I was reading later on. Ryder is another well-developed character. On the surface and at the beginning, he comes across as an 'all brawn and no brains' kind of guy, but this idea is quickly dispelled. Ryder is incredibly smart and kind-hearted, with a tendency to judge people on the inside, rather than the outside (which is a welcome change).

One thing that struck me about this story is how well researched it is. Everything, from the bodyguard techniques to the psychology theory, came across as legitimate and detailed. Cordelia Kingsbridge's writing flows beautifully and is enthralling to read. The details are all spot on and so is the conversation, with not one part of it being boring or unnecessary. The structure of it is interesting as well, since half is always in Ryder's POV and the other half in Luca's. There were no mistakes that I could tell and I truly can't give you one criticism. However, it definitely earns its M rating so if you aren't a fan of the stuff that entails, this story isn't for you. So, if you can't tell, I'm completely hooked on the suspense of this story and urge everyone else to give it a go too!