Man I wanted to love this book so much! I am a fan of Sylvia so I was beyond excited to get so close. I started the book right away and it was really slow so I thought It wasn’t the right time to read it so I put it down and came back later. Same slow start but I didn’t want to not finish it so I kept with it. I really could not connect with the story or the characters but I must admit around 65-70% I got hooked since danger was involved so I finished because I needed to know what happened. I’m hoping the second book will hammer everything out

Such an enjoyable dark, sexy thriller. I really enjoyed the wild family dynamics full of lies, deceit and pure hatred. There isnt a lukable character among them yet i still enjoyed every minute. Looking forward to the next book in this duo to see where the characters go from here.

When writing the rough draft of this review, this section was labeled – “why this book is amazing and pissed me off.” That pretty much sums up the entire thing. It’s really good but leaves you with a ton of questions.

This book takes place in the same world as her other series, Crossfire, but has a whole different vibe going. It has a gothic feel to it and the writing style is different than what I am used to.

The main character is Kane, but, it never switches to his point of view. Instead, it goes between “Lily” (if that is Lily), Amy (Kane’s sister-in-law), and, Aliyah (Kane’s mother). Amy and Aliyah are really awful people. I hope they are explored more in future novels. I would like to find out if they are a product of bad circumstances or if they are just ugly.

The word choice and writing style are the best and worst thing. Her word choice is so confusing! It’s clearly done in purpose but it was frustrating (in a good way). I don’t want to spoil it but you will understand when you read it.

This book had an intriguing premise and suspenseful start, but I found that as the plot thickened I became less and less interested. There will be a sequel so perhaps the stakes will be upped once more, however the final "big reveal" ultimately fell flat for me, and the characters which I had once found eerie and complex became rather annoying. Still, I definitely let out some gasps and was genuinely nervous to turn the page at points, so I will pick up the second book to finish out this tale of deceit, doppelgängers and a truly DEMONIC mother-in-law.

So Close is for you if you want a love so all consuming that not even death can destroy a cast of characters each more deceitful and self serving with their own agenda a plot with so many twist that you wonder what else is their and then the realization that you have to wait for book 2 to tie up all the loose ends.

sexy, dark and compelling. A real page turner. I loved this story and its characters. great setting and pace.

I read the Crossfire series a while back and I really enjoyed this. But, for some reason, I just felt like this story was going nowhere, so I had to abandon it.

I'm sorry.

So many characters that give us basically no meaningful insight into the story, which, on top of that, are incredibly boring and unlikable.

I pushed and pushed to over 30% but the story just wouldn't start. I liked the subtle references to Eva and Gideon, but Kane just wasn't an interesting character. It's just more of the same, very five years ago. I really struggled with this, and all I wanted was some sexy read.

Thank you Netgalley for providing a free arc in exchange for an honest review.

ended up dnfing this book because it was soo confusing. i’ve tried to just push through but i have absolutely no idea what is happening right now. overall i tried to read this book but it was super confusing and not well written

3 stars
As a huge Slyvia Day fan, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read this. It had all of the ways of Day's setting the scenes and making it all so real. However, it was difficult to read as the pace was slow and it seemed to not have the same heartbeat as her other tales.

So I have been contemplating how I feel about this book. I only do this when I am trying to recall my disposition from an author whose other works I read before. I Crossfire Series has been her best work that I read so far and it has been yeara since she released a new book.. this one. And I am mildly disappointed yet intrigued at the same time.

1. Like the Crossfire Series, the opulence and wealth influenced the plot massively. It is one of the central themes
2. MC has a brooding and calculative persona while FMC is bold, decisive and mysterious - lethal combination for a couple, one might say
3. Multiple POVs, which made me more involved. Felt like an audience intruding on their thoughts and I like it thus far

My biggest problem: It's so slow. Slow to to the point that had to force myself to be involved so I can get to that damn ending and find out the why's

🫦 Why did the FMC left 6 years ago just a week after their wedding?
🫦 How does the FMC know all about power play? What exactly did her mother teach her?
🫦 Why am I reading through a POV of someone not relevant to the story? Is this a trick? Do I need to remember this for part two or something?

...and a whole lot more, honestly. The twist was what intrigued me but I guess it has to be done that way to give way for book two. Hopefully the duet is more crafted sensibly than this one

Thank you to the author and publisher for this arc.
I love this author's works, but I had a hard time connecting to the main characters and felt it was a cold and strange book. I could not get into it at all despite my hopes for it. This one is not for me.

I was extremely excited for this one as I’ve read Sylvia day in the past but this was lackluster. Like many others I wanted to finish and noticed myself skimming to get it done. It jumped from each person in each chapter which I normally like but I didn’t feel like I got to know each person or understand them. This definitely wasn’t my favorite book.

The Crossfire series is one of my favorites of ALL TIME and I reread those books often so I was really looking forward to reading this book!

This book jumps from character to character each chapter which was TOO much for me. The writing is very blah and didn't really keep my interest. I attempted to put the book down and come back to it fresh multiple times, but decided that this book just wasn't for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to be an early reader.

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book - I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This books started really well, and I was captivated with the way the characters were portrayed and how it was all going to turn up, but then I got a little confused, the plot slowed down a bit and I lost interest about half way through the book.

I did finish it, but to be honest, I skimmed the last half of the book. I maybe missed a lot of the thrilling tension that is a hallmark of this author's work and something I have enjoyed before.

I'd like to see where the Blacklist series goes, it was all set up really well, but I hope I find them more coherent than this one. I have always enjoyed books by this author and I am sure I will continue to do so.

I was so excited when I got this ARC as I loved previous work by Sylvia Day but honestly I wasn't hooked by this title.
So Close focuses on Kane and Lily, there was a lot of backstory and character building but I couldn't find myself loving or rooting for the characters.
I finished the book but only to see what happened rather than wanting to finish it.

This was an okay book that passed the time and quenched my thirst for se years fairies. It wouldn't be something I would really recommend but I will definitely finish the series to see how it ends.

Well if that was not the biggest disappointment of the year.... :(
Is this even written by Sylvia Day???? Really???
The same author who wrote my absolute favourite romance series Crossfire??? I simply can't believe it. It is all wrong and poorly written... I finished the book out of respect for the author who I repeat did write the amazing Crossfire series and I waited for something to happen, something to turn the book round....
It was just simply the most disappointed experience I have had from an author EVER... sorry...

This book was just amazing, a gothic thriller with mystery and romance - literally the perfect mix. The characters are all morally grey and slightly unhinged, you think you know they're motivations for something then there's another fun twist. I just loved that as a reader you're constantly kept on your toes from the very first page, Sylvia Day throws you into the chaos of the Black family and you never truly know what is going on because there are so many secrets.

One of the biggest thing I enjoyed is the multiple POV's which always you to get a real insight into characters heads yet they are all, to some degree, an unreliable narrator which makes the whole book more intriguing because everything is a mystery even to the characters themselves. Overall I really really enjoyed this, especially the relationship between Kane and Lily, they're both just badass, a power-couple (especially Lily) and I can't wait till book 2.

I tried multiple times to read this title. But it just did not work for me. I ended up finally giving and deciding this book was not for me.
There are multiple points of view. I was confused at time who was and who. the pages were crowded with characters and I wasn't sure who I was suppose to be paying attention to. I just really struggled with this title and gave up at about 41%.
All the world building and back story made the story feel slow and clunky.
I have enjoyed the author in the past this one was just not for me.

Sylvia Day brings us the story of Lily and Kane. Kane is a man who commands all those around him. He seems to not care about anything or anyone around him while everyone is clamoring to be seen by him. What is most noticeable is his obsession with Lily. He has his penthouse filled with her things and her portrait as the only personal item in his bedroom. It is decorated in her style and all things have her monogram just waiting for their owner to come walking through their doors ready to welcome her home. The problem is that Lily died six years ago, or so he thought until he sees her across the street When he brings his Lily home with him, it upsets the already fragile family dynamics. All the players are setting up their tactics with victory in mind. You are introduced to his mother, his brothers, and sister-in-law who all work for the family company in some capacity. As each power player makes their move to gain the upper hand, we start to see how it all unravels... or do we?

Sylvia Day brings us this story that is the first part of the Blacklist duology. We meet Kane and see him in his environment with all those wanting to be around him. We then meet another version of Kane when Lily comes back into the picture. We get to meet all the other players in this story and see how they interact with each other. Ms. Day keeps you guessing as you add another piece to the puzzle rooting for one person then another after reading some more. You also get glimpses from the couple Ms. Day made most famous: Eva and Gideon Cross. It is like seeing old friends again and catching up with them. You keep wanting to turn the page until you have reached the past page and realize that there is so much more left to their story, but you have to wait for the next part in this series. I look forward to seeing how their story ends and hoping to visit with Eva and Gideon as well.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I would like to thank NetGalley and Rōnin House for this privilege.