I was really excited to read So Close, by Sylvia Day. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t find my flow with this book. I think the concept is good and I wanted to know what was happening, but it just felt rushed and the characters were so unlikable. I felt like things were happening and no explanation was given.
This wasn’t for me, but I’m sure there will be those that really like it.

As always with Sylvia Day, this book is very well written. It is a slow burn but the pages continue to be filled with lots of information and character development. There were not a lot of twists and turns but the ending makes the book a great read! I did not see it coming and leaves me looking forward to the next book

I’m so sorry, I had to DNF at 25% in. The writing was all over the place. I HATED the way Lily’s POV was written - second person POV is a no go for me. Also, it was WAY too wordy and descriptive. It was hard to focus on the story.

I am and always will be a Sylvia Day fan, but this book just wasn’t for me.

*Thank you to Ronin House, Sylvia Day, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

The Crossfire series is dear to my heart. I absolutely loved it and was so excited to get this in my inbox. I guess this is where my excitement ends. I have no idea what I just read. I felt the entire time I was reading it like there was a story I was missing. A prequel maybe that explained Lily's disappearance. Or why Kane was so obsessed with her? I was thoroughly confused from Lily's point of view. Was it Lily? Someone impersonating her? Maybe her sister? Or did she really have amnesia? She was such an unreliable narrator. My favorite and the most interesting character was Amy. I loved her and her crazy life. She shined next to Lily, who I felt was kind of bland. Maybe I just wanted Crossfire with different characters. I am giving it three stars because It is Sylvia Day and I still think she is the best.

Many POV in this book not only focus on Kane and Lily. Kane really grief from the lost of his wife, Lily. He made mausoleum full of memory to reminder of her. Fuck woman who have similiar style like his late wife. When Lily come back, everything chaos. The drama tho, deception, conspiracy, money, sex, gready, jealousy, obsession, grudge, revenge. Reach middle of book still mystery. Its like reading a riddle. I hope the second book Too Far willmhave Kane POV.

I love Slyvia Day books, especially Crossfire series. The Blacklist series more mystery dan romance like Crossfire. I didnt expect story like this. I glad to read a glimp of Eva and Gideon here.

Thank you to NetGalley for provide this book, it is pleasure to review this book.

#SoClose #TheBlacklist #SylviaDay #RoninHouseBooks #SylviaDayLLC #NetGalley #ARC

Well what to say about this book. I was so excited to get a copy of this and was hoping for a Crossfire experience.
It was not. I had to force myself to read it and had no idea what was going on until the book was 85% finished and even then this books leaves only a glimpse into what is actually going on. Learning some of the story close to the end of the book showed me how much needless stuff was put in this story unless maybe there is some sort of plan for it in the next book? The character development was also terrible. Zero connection with the characters. I will read the next one for closure.

DNF @50%
I have no idea what the heck I was reading.

Not a fan of the writing. The story was all over the place and confusing. I ended up zoning out countless times. I would reread the chapters over and over again, but nothing stuck. I didn't have this much issue with her other novels.

**I would like to thank NetGalley, Sylvia Day (the author), and Rōnin House for graciously sending me an ARC to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.**

I had a difficult time getting into this one and once I did, I just wasn’t that pulled into keep reading it. It was likely my own mood but I had trouble connecting to any character and wasn’t really rooting for anyone.

So Close is set in the Crossfire world. This threw me off a bit because I expected a similar type of of book, erotic with some mystery and a good dose of romance with flawed characters that you still root for. Instead, this one is heavy on the mystery with no one clear to root for, some truly unlikeable characters and eroticism with the romance. It's still intriguing enough that I would want to complete the series, but it's not what I expected.

Kane Black is obsessed with his late wife Lily. He has a life size photo of her in his bedroom so she is that last thing he sees before falling asleep and the first when he wakes up, for him life is just passing time before he's reunited with her in death. But one day Lily reappears, or so it seams, the early plot twist kept me fully engaged in the story!
Although focused on Kane and Lily, the story is told through several POVs, except his. One of them is Amy, Kane’s sister-in-law, who’s obsession with Kane after one night together makes her thoughts run wild and gives us explendoriously witty writing that keeps you interested and on your toes. Another one is Aliyah, Kane’s mother, who kicked him out because her second husband didn’t want to raise him. The third one is Witte, Kane’s butler (between other things) who has helped Kane manage his life in Lily’s absence. The last one is Lily herself. While the other POVs are told like they’re writing a diary, Lily’s is like she’s writing letters to Kane and we get to experience her own obsession with him by the way she describes him.
The backstory is a thriller envolted in a cunning environment where everyone is after something they think it’s rightfully theirs and they’ll do anything to get it which makes for an excellent read. I read the book in a flash as I could not put it down, however when I finished I thought something was missing, I could not link the last scene of the book with the rest of the story. Now I can’t wait for the next one in the series so I get answers! The mention of Gideon and Eva Cross and Cross Industries throughout the book is great to get a small glimpse of what they have become. Not usually the genre I’m drawn to but I chose it because I loved the Crossfire series. This book did not disappoint and I suggest you pick it up as soon as it is published!

I was interested in reading this new book from Sylvia Day after reading the Crossfire series a few years ago. After reading it, I’m greatly disappointed. The story is awful and doesn’t make any sense. The synopsis says it’s about 3 women finding their way - but it’s not about that at all. It’s really unbelievable and zero people talk like these characters do to each other. I don’t get it. The writing is overly flowery and odd. I barely finished but wanted to get to what the whole book was really about.

~ Quick Summary ~

Kane lost his wife 6 years ago, but one day sees a woman who looks exactly like her and takes her home.

Kane’s mother Aliyah and his sister in law Amy - fight to take control of the company.

~ Pick this up if you enjoy/don’t mind the following ~

🤼 4 points of views: Lily, Witte, Amy and Aliya:

Lily - The woman that Kane brought home
Witte - Kane’s head butler (I forgot the proper name)?
Amy - Wants to be Lily
Aliyah - Trying to take control of the company

🕮 Darker/mysterious tone

🌶️ Spicy

🎭 Drama , romance and a hint of mystery

~ What I enjoyed ~

I initally liked the writing and how the characters were described, it was very rich. They sounded very enigmatic and mysyerious. I wanted to know who everyone was.

I was interested in Lily, Kane and their complex relationship.

~ What I didn’t enjoy ~

Majority of this (70%) felt very slow, I couldn’t get into it. I didn’t like any of the characters and I lost interest around the mystery of Lily because it dragged and the focus was more on the drama. I didn’t like the reveal because it didn't feel well fleshed out and felt out of place. I wish there was more of a build up or some hints throughout.

There was a reason why I didn't enjoy Lily's point of view but thats a spoiler. I'll put it in my Goodreads review.
I didn't enjoy Amy’s and Alyiah’s point of view because their chapters felt soapy, trying to one up each other. I just wanted to know more about Lily, Kane’s obsession and their relationship but I had to get through other chapters.

There was too much mention about how sensual the characters were. I liked it at first, but it got repetitive.

This line made me raise an eyebrow. I thought I was reading a fantasy novel with fae or wolves. “If I can also trigger his mating instincts, even better”.

Thanks NetGalley and Smith Publicity for the ARC.

Thank you Smith Publicity for allowing me to read this wonderful book by Sylvia Day! This was my first book by this author and I enjoyed her writing style very much. It took me a bit to get all of the characters straight in my head since there were so many, but I loved the complexity to each one.
I have so many questions about Lily, but I am sure they will all be answered in the future. I did hope this book would be a bit more spicy based on what I’ve heard about this author, but regardless I was not disappointed.

Thank you to Ronin house for this ARC copy of So Close by Sylvia Day from Netgalley.

I enjoyed the writing style of this book and loved the graphics on the chapter pages. I struggled to keep up with this book, and found myself quite confused, although I’m not sure if it was just me overthinking things or not paying attention enough. I enjoyed the dual pov as it kept things interesting, even though I was getting a bit confused with whose POV it was. I think the storyline was well thought out and was a great idea, the characters had some depth to them, even if they weren’t very likeable at times, they weren’t one dimensional and hard to read as.

The plot twists were good and worked well.

This was my first book I’ve read by Sylvia Day.

I loved the front cover with the black and gold theme, it looks very classy but seductive at the same time.

If you enjoyed the Crossfire series, this book is a perfect continuation of Sylvia Day's books. The characters were developed well. There were so many plot twists that I didn't see coming. Sylvia Day did an amazing job at keeping the reader on their toes trying to figure out what was going on within the Black family. Kane Black is a very intriguing character as well as Amy, who is married to his brother. Kane's wife Lily has you guessing every other chapter. I could not put this book down. I was desperate to know what was going on and I can't wait for the next book in the duology.

I dived and splashed right into the deep end with So Close by Sylvia Day. One of the things that makes Sylvia Day such an exquisite author is her ability to execute every genre she writes, as well as make every story feel so different. No two male characters are the same in her books, and it is such a creative gold mine her imagination can create, to have such powerful men that are so different to love. While I am sure many will try to compare this series to the Crossfire series, it is so IMPORTANT to separate the two in order to love this new book. This is an entirely different feel, it is okay to love Gideon and Eva and then also love Kane's twisted family.

The style of writing for this series I feel is something I have never read before and it was entirely something to write home about. You are instantly transported to each individual's mind of how they tick. Sylvia gives you the good, bad, and ugly of these characters and you will GOBBLE IT up.


There are 4 POVs: Lily (Kane's wife), Witte (Kane's majordomo), Amy (spiteful Sister in law), and Aliyah (his mother). All these characters are just so well developed and deep that you will frequently be anticipating if they might be sharing the next chapter.

Can I just say that I LOVE Amy, she is desperate to fit in - while she does it in the most bizarre and wild ways, it can be relatable as a woman in the corporate world/social world. I wouldn't say she is down to earth by any means but with the internal struggles, she deals with you begin to care about her. I am HERE for the beginning of her character ARCH (if that is where we are going). Her husband Darius (who is Kane's brother) is HOT. I'll just leave that there.

Take the plunge into the rip current because it is about consume you and leave you gasping till October 2023 for the next installment.

I received an electronic ARC of this book in return for my honest feedback.

I was really exciting to get this book, I loved Sylvia Day's Crossfire Series. Even though this novel takes place in the same universe of the Crossfire Series, it is far from like it.

So Close is the first book in her new duology Blacklist series. This is a dark and twisty gothic thriller/mystery and follows multiple characters. The book follows multiple view points kept me intrigued and guessing the entire time on where the story is going. The last few chapters have a lot of action going on and piece some of your questions together, but since this is duology, it ends on a cliffhanger....

There is some spice, but not like in the Crossfire series. This feels like a completely different genre than what we are use to reading from Sylvia. I don't want to give too many spoilers away, so I will keep my review brief.

Summary: 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.

Overall: 4.25
Spice: .5

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy. This book releases March 28, 2023

I read this ARC for an honest review
All thoughts and opinions are mine

I've read this author before and really enjoyed their books so was thrilled to be able to read this

Really enjoyed this and will be searching out more of their books to enjoy

After reading and loving the Crossfire series, I couldn't wait for Sylvia Day's next series. And it did not disappoint! Kept me hooked from the first page until the last. It's steamy, thrilling and will keep you turning page after page.

Thank you to net galley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Brilliant read, I’ve loved this authors books since the cross fire series and this is another one to add to the list. Highly recommend reading.