Hold Me (Collateral)

NOTE: My review covers the 3 book trilogy

SWEET COLLATERAL by LP Lovell is a contemporary, adult, organized crime, dark romance story line focusing on crime lord /Mexican cartel head Rafael D’Cruze, and twenty-two year old, sex slave Anna Vasiliev. Anna was first introduced in the Kiss of Death Trilogy. Some of the events of SWEET COLLATERAL run parallel to and cross over with a number of events in the KISS OF DEATH TRILOGY.

NOTE: SWEET COLLATERAL was originally released as a three book Collateral Trilogy (Hate Me, Hold Me, Have Me).

WARNING: Due to the extreme graphic nature of the story line premise there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Rafe and Anna) SWEET COLLATERAL follows Rafael D’Cruze when a favor is called in by the Italian Mafia wherein Rafe is ordered to rescue and protect our story line heroine. Anna Vasiliev, along with her sister Una, were raised in a Russian orphanage but at thirteen years of age Anna was sold as a sex slave to the Russian Bratva, who eventually sold her to the Sinaloa Mexican cartel. Fast forward to present day wherein Rafe finds himself protector and guardian of a young woman, so damaged and broken, he battles between head and heart knowing that to keep Anna for himself could mean a war with the Italian mob. As Rafe continues as head of the Mexican cartel, Anna finds herself often the target of any number of attempts to get her back, attempts wherein lives are lost, often too close to home. What ensues is the building friendship and relationship between Rafe and Anna, and the potential fall-out as Anna continues to struggle with issues of trust, including with the man with whom she will fall in love.

Anna Vasiliev has been so abused at the hands of many men that our heroine considers herself nothing more than a slave and a wh*re. Willing to risk her life for the freedom she has never known, our heroine struggles with issues of trust including the truth behind the reason she is currently under Rafael’s protection and control. Rafael D’Cruze is not an easy man. He is a killer who never hesitates but something about Anna threatens all of his control, a control he is going to need when both the Sinaloan cartel and Russian Bratva come seeking revenge and the return of our story line heroine.

The relationship between Rafe and Anna begins as a rescue but Anna is broken both inside and out, and struggles with a history of abuse at the hands of many men. Always running without any place to go, Anna’s embattled relationship with Rafe eventually pushes our heroine out of Rafe’s life, a push towards the family she wants to know. Rafael D’Cruze knows he is supposed to return Anna to the head of the Italian mob but when the truth is revealed Rafael becomes guardian, protector and lover to a woman who has never known love, kindness, friendship or hugs but Rafe struggles with the constant danger his lifestyle presents to our story line heroine, a lifestyle he is hoping to not have Anna involved. The $ex scenes between Rafe and Anna are intimate and passionate.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including Anna’s sister Una and her love Nero (Kiss of Death Trilogy), as well as a number of members of Rafael’s cartel, and household employees. The requisite evil has many faces.

SWEET COLLATERAL is another dark, gritty, haunting and powerful story line of control, abuse and betrayal, conflict and vengeance, family and love. The premise is twisted and tragic; the romance is provocative; the characters are broken, flawed, shattered and twisted.