Review: Close to You by Kristen Proby

Purchase on Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Synopsis

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kristen Proby comes the second novel in her sizzling Fusion series.

Camilla, “Cami,” LaRue was five-years-old when she first fell in love with Landon Palazzo. Everyone told her the puppy love would fade—they clearly never met Landon. When he left after graduation without a backward glance, she was heartbroken. But Cami grew up, moved on, and became part-owner of wildly popular restaurant Seduction. She has everything she could want...or so she thinks. 

After spending the last twelve years as a Navy fighter pilot, Landon returns to Portland to take over the family construction business. When he catches a glimpse of little Cami LaRue, he realizes she’s not so little any more. He always had a soft spot for his little sister’s best friend, but nothing is soft now when he’s around the gorgeous restauranteur.

Landon isn’t going to pass up the chance to make the girl-next-door his. She’s never been one for romance, but he’s just the one to change her mind. Will seduction be just the name of her restaurant or will Cami let him get close enough to fulfill all her fantasies?

Review

I knew the Fusion series was going to be amazing after reading the initial debut of Listen to Me. Eagerly anticipating the second book, Close to You was a challenge because Kristen had me so frustrated wondering if I’d missed something. No, I didn’t but she had left me hanging out there until this book arrived. I’m always nervous about the second book in a series but this one I will say I was very happy with. I really took to Cami and my dream possibilities of her and Landon in the first book and thank goodness, dreams come true! 

Close to You, picked up the unanswered questions about what happened to Landon at the end of Listen to Me. I was very pleasantly surprised and excited for the transition of the beginning of a new chapter for him and Cami. For me, Cami is probably my favorite out of the bunch. She is the girl next door type of gal, which for me, I completely connect with. What I love about her is that she is definitely the classic book case of the girl growing up crushing on the older brother of your best friend but then when time meets fate, what’s meant to be comes aligned.

We all wish for the girl to get the dream guy in the end but it was nice for fate to get it right for a change. Cami is that girl out of the bunch that many women will resonate with. What I really loved about them in this book is that Kristen completely took us in their world. I couldn’t put the book down and felt like I was watching and feeling their love develop in front of me. I love how like in the first book, you really feel a part of them, their lives and you really get brought into everything.  Kristen is such an amazing writer of beautiful characters that really connect you and make you completely oblivious to anything but the story unfolding to you on the page. 

I will say that even though the first book was a fantastic introduction to the girls and Addie’s story, this one I loved more because it shined the girl that really isn’t in the spotlight and she got her awesome hea. Their journey pulled at the heart but it was real, emotional and definitely worth the wait to read. I’m being biased because Cami is my favorite to say I liked this book better but I know the other gals with get their time to shine just as great. I can only speculate based on the ending of this book, Riley will be the next gal featured. We’ll revisit this when the next book comes out to see if I’m right. We’ll see for the next additional to the series. Overall, I loved this book and thought it was such a beautiful journey of time and a testament of true love meant to be. I’d definitely recommend this and look forward to the next one