So Close
Series: Blacklist, #1
Author: Sylvia Day
Publication Date: March 28, 2023
Publisher: Ronin House
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Erotica, Fiction, Romantic Suspense
Note: This review is for an ARC and is my unbiased opinion.
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Synopsis:
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Crossfire® saga comes the beginning of a twisty tale of obsession and rage, as a trinity of women protect what they covet at any cost.
You can’t believe all of them, but can you trust any of them?
Widower Kane Black is still ruinously married to his late wife, Lily. Grief has hollowed him… until he sees a woman with his wife’s inimitable beauty on the streets of Manhattan. He whisks her up to his towering penthouse, protectively under guard, nestling her in dark opulence where Lily’s memory is a possessive beguiling force.
Aliyah, Kane’s mother, deals in science. There are too many questions, too few answers, and too much at stake. “Lily” has dangerous control over Kane and there can be only one queen on the throne.
Amy, Kane’s sister-in-law, has been bloodied by deceit and betrayal, and she’s devolving into murderous rage. She’s paid too high a price and now intends to claim what she’s owed.
Three women, linked by buried secrets, circle the man who unquestioningly accepts the return of his beloved long-dead wife. Kane is happier than he’s ever been, and he’ll do anything to stay that way.
Propulsive and sly, So Close is a lushly gothic novel of domestic suspense with the emotional intensity, scorching sensuality, and complex exploration of female trauma that are the hallmarks of multimillion-copy international bestseller Sylvia Day.
I’m going to be honest. I didn’t even read the blurb before picking up this book. I saw Sylvia Day’s name as the author and jumped right in. I’m glad I did because So Close was fantastic. It kept my mind reeling trying to figure everything out. In general, this is a romantic suspense/mystery about a notable man’s wife who returns from the dead and how it impacts his life, his family, and their empire. It’s a crazy, fun ride filled with drama. I don’t know how to review it other than to give you a little insight into who the narrators of the story are and what I thought of them.
WITTE: Kane’s trusty employee. His observations helped set the story up and added a non-female look into Kane’s life. He seems trustworthy.
AMY: Kane’s sister-in-law who is obsessed with him in an obviously unhealthy way. She gave me so much secondhand embarrassment when it came to her thoughts and actions. I felt sorry for her as much as I disliked her.
ALIYAH: Kane’s mother. She was desperately trying to control her entire family and their company. I hated this woman. I thought she was evil except for a couple of moments when I wondered if she was right to be concerned about certain things.
LILY: Kane’s wife who has returned from the dead. She was the most interesting and important character. Not only because of the way she thought about Kane, but because she is truly what kept me guessing and wondering. I was surprised that I liked her so much and wanted her to come out on top of anything and everything when it came to Kane and his family.
I keep mentioning Kane because the story revolves around him, but interesting enough we never get his POV. Everything we know about him, and his actions comes from these four people – and three of them may or may not be unreliable narrators. (I’m still trying to figure that unreliable thing out.) It made me even more curious about what is going through his head and the decisions he makes. I really loved that. I’m hoping we get his POV in the second book.
I have so many, many questions that were not answered in So Close that I’m anxiously awaiting answered. I cannot wait to read Too Far. I took my time reading So Close because I didn’t want to miss out on any detail. I hope Day can wrap this story up in the same way she crafted this first book because it was excellent and kept me guessing.