Payment Series by Cassandra Carr

Catrina Carter is in over her head. Way over her head. She’s in debt and, short of bankruptcy, which wouldn’t happen fast enough to pay the creditors nipping at her heels, Catrina has few choices. Eviction is coming any day, and even though she traded in her great car for a “more affordable” model, it's about to be repossessed too. Catrina goes to Debt Management Associates, or DMA, for help.
The cost for DMA's help is something she never thought she could pay, but out of options, Catrina agrees to serve a man who pays her debt in full, and begins training in how to please him. Jared. Her new benefactor. He is tasked with helping Catrina get her life back on track, in addition to taking his pleasure with her and ordering her to oblige friends, colleagues, and even total strangers sexually on his whim.
When Catrina leaves the DMA program after her one year term of service, will she be able to keep the lessons Jared literally spanked into her topmost in her mind, or will old habits rear their designer heads?

NOTE: The Payment Series is a serial. They are best read in order and are not really standalone stories.
WARNING: This series contains material some readers might find objectionable, such frequent punishments, anal play and humiliation. If these themes bother you, please do not purchase this series.

WARNING BEFORE WE GO ANY FARTHER.  THE AUTHOR HAS ALSO PLACED WARNINGS ON THIS SERIES BUT MAKE SURE YOU ARE ABLE TO HANDLE ABUSIVE AND DISTURBING SCENES BEFORE YOU READ THIS BOOK. THE REVIEW WILL NOT BE DESCRIBING THOSE SCENES BUT THAT IN NO WAYS INDICATES THE ABUSE SCENES ARE NOT INTENSE.

The Payment Series is made up of three novellas by Cassandra Carr.  While you can purchase all three separately, they also come as a whole book which is how I read them.  I can honestly say by the time I had gotten to the second installment, I knew rating this book was going to be very difficult.  I adore this author’s work and writing style.  So far there hasn’t been a book she has published that I haven’t enjoyed reading, but this series gave me times where it would have been easier to walk away from the story than endure the events that happen.  Even though I felt the panic and intensity, I still couldn’t put the book down.  I have to admit it, I would read a book four IF the author wrote one.

Catrina as most young women who had not been taught the value of budgeting money found herself in debt for a huge amount.  With eviction looming over her head and debt collectors coming after her, she investigated a program that her friend had used to help her become financially stable in the past.  The plan put in place for her, AFTER she agreed and signed a contract, was she would be trained and auctioned off to a benefactor who would agree to pay off her debt in exchange for her living with him for a determined amount of time.  As repayment she would allow him to use her mouth and anal area for sex not only with him but with whoever he decided would have that right.  She would endure multiple spankings and her punishment for her bad choices would be up to him with the only rule, he could not do harsh physical damage to her body.  This also included public nudity at any location he desired.  Along with this punishment she would be reminded why she was in this situation and take responsibility for her actions.

Now it is very important that you remember she agreed to this and signed the contract and she has a right to get out of it with strict “early withdrawal penalties” so this wasn’t non-consensual, but it was vulgar and went way past the line of abuse, which is where I had some really difficult times while reading the book. With that being said, I also have to say I could understand the program, reinforce negative behavior with negative consequences and make her take online classes regarding finance so she is better prepared once she leave.   

While the motive for this program was explained and I found brilliant, the method gave me chills.  The time frame set for her was a year with Jared, the man who “saved or bought” her.  There were times I wanted to hate him, other times he made perfect sense and I hate to admit this, there were moments I could understand her attraction to him.  Catrina was written in a way that I found my emotions followed along with hers. 

So the first part of the book, which is sold independently as Prized, was good for me.  It explained how she got in this situation and her steps in training to get out of the debt and prepare herself to be sold. We were introduced to Raoul her trainer at the institution and watched as she discovered how desperate her life had become that she was willing to sell herself for financial freedom.

 The second book titled Possessed was by far the hardest for me to read.  It was the year she was with Jared and the abuse she endured.  Not only did she suffer physically, she also had emotional and mental break downs that lead to her wondering if she would ever come out of this in one piece

The third installment is sold as Purgatory and I think this one left me feeling let down and confused.  I would have sworn she would have learned from the year of hell but she struggled with this new freedom and the old thought process that got her in the situation in the first place. The ending left me feeling like I was cheated after enduring the second book and feeling like I had no real closure. 

ONLY and I will repeat ONLY if you like a dark twisted read, would I recommend this book series and believe that you would enjoy this.  For those looking for fluff or light darkness, please enter at your own risk because this book goes beyond that. While I will certainly continue to read more of Cassandra Carr’s books and love her style, this book left me feeling very emotionally raw and uncomfortable.