Closer

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Pub Date 17 Jul 2017 | Archive Date 31 Dec 2017

Description


When Alexandria Summers (Ally) bumps into Henry Pearce during the Sunny Valley Tulip Festival, she never thought she’d see him again in her hometown, the Windy City. Despite several warnings telling her to stay away, Ally finds herself falling deeper for this strange man. But little did she know, their fated encounter is just the beginning of a larger scheme.


This beautiful man was flawed. 

He was real … real in a sense that he was human after all.

Fragile. Pitiful. Lonely.

Henry was all of these things — elements that I never could imagine him having.

The more I got to know Henry, the more I realized how much of a mystery he was. 

A dark, but beautiful mystery.


*** Trigger Warning: This book contains disturbing situations some readers might find objectionable, in addition to elements of abuse. Intended for audiences 18 and older. Ends on a cliffhanger.

*** Book 1 of the Closer Trilogy


When Alexandria Summers (Ally) bumps into Henry Pearce during the Sunny Valley Tulip Festival, she never thought she’d see him again in her hometown, the Windy City. Despite several warnings telling...


Available Editions

EDITION Ebook
ISBN 9780999139806
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Average rating from 31 members


Featured Reviews

This was actually pretty addictive! I am so glad I stuck with it. The blurb offers very little except promising a dark read, with fully disclosed warnings and all. "Hmm", I thought, " A marketing ploy?" I asked. Nothing creates a buzz like a well placed warning.

Henry is our mysterious male who literally bumps into Ally at a tulip festival. A connection immediately ensues. I struggled with the first half of the book. I found the development of their romance very predictable and underdeveloped, not to mention swift and gullible. Even the dialogue and writing style during the first 50% was disarming and coy. Admittedly the sense of something being off kilter curiously loomed. I felt it from the blurb, but more so from the seemingly desperation of Henry and Ally's whirlwind romance.

Any doubts I had in the first half of the book where obliterated in the second half. The first half was a necessary, well thought out contrast. The plot thickened, the writing intensified and darkened. These characters elicited definite emotional responses from me, responses I didn't think this story would have been capable of provoking.

Suspense happened, and I was caught up! These characters are flawed and unpredictable. This is a trilogy, and I frantically reached the end of this first part frantically clawing for more pages, more answers. I need book two as soon as it is humanly possible. 5 stars! Simply for lulling me into thinking this would be less than expected, and surprising me when it became so much more.

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oh wow. this is probably one of the best books I've read. This is a dark read, with elements of abuse and lots of hatred and angst in. but its also one of those books that you read and think what on earth would I do?
certainly, the actions that Henry decides to pursue are extreme to say the least.
and Ally is perfectly cast and described.
I couldn't put this down.
towards the middle you can clearly see what has happened to cause this, but still need to keep reading to see when that reality hits.
be warned, it does end in a cliffhanger that leaves you desperate for the next

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I like dark romance. What I like even better than dark romance, is a dark romance that is written right. A book that draws you in and makes you go “What the heck did I read.” That is exactly what Closer did for me. When I was done reading the book, I felt that I had been through the wringer. Believe me, it’s a good thing that I felt that way. I haven’t gotten that into a book in a while.

Closer’s plot seemed to be simple. Ally is on vacation with her friends when Henry walks into her. What happens after seems to be something out of a fairytale. Ally cannot believe that Henry is interested in her. She does have some reservations about how fast the relationship is moving. But Henry sweeps them aside. He maintains his mystery status until the night of their wedding. That is when a huge twist is revealed. That huge twist took me by surprise. It knocked me for a loop because I did not see it coming. The simple plot became twisted with one shocking revelation after another.

Closer doesn’t seem like it will fit into the dark romance genre when you first start reading it. It actually seems like it is a regular romance. But like I said above, the twist is what changes everything. After that twist, the romance becomes completely dark.

Ally drove me nuts during the first half of the book. She was so indecisive that I wanted to shake her and yell “Make a decision, will you“. Her feelings for Henry were part of that indecisiveness. She wanted him. Then she didn’t want him. Then she got mad because he wasn’t texting her. Drove. Me. Crazy. The song “I Hate You/I Love You” reminded me of their relationship.



Ally earned my pity after they got married. I was a little perturbed that she didn’t know key details about certain important and key events. I also couldn’t believe that she (or her sister or brother) didn’t have any clue who Henry was. That one detail blew my mind. But it didn’t excuse Henry’s behavior to her. Nope, it didn’t.

I loved Henry, at first. He was so suave and debonair. He also seemed to like Ally and seemed to fall head over heels for her. My love for him turned to disbelief and horror when he revealed to Ally why he married her. I had a “What the hell” moment. I was as crushed and confused as Ally was. I did dislike him for a while in the book. That was until he explained why he was doing what he was doing to her. Then, believe it or not, I felt bad for him. But there is more going on and you need to read the book to find out what it is!!

The sex scene didn’t do it for me. I couldn’t enjoy it as much as I wanted to because of what was going on at the time. Not that it wasn’t good, it was. I couldn’t get into it knowing why Henry was treating Ally the way he did.

The end of the book was a surprise for me. I wasn’t ready for the last bombshell that Henry dropped on Ally. But, I also wasn’t ready for Ally’s bombshell. I can’t wait to see what is going to happen in book 2!!

4 stars

My Summary of Closer:

Closer is a dark romance that will have you alternately crying and raging at the book. I can’t even begin to describe how I felt while reading this book because my emotions ran the gauntlet. I wouldn’t recommend this book for anyone under the age of 18, though. There are some scenes, later in the book, that is more suited for mature readers.

Will I reread: Yes

Will I recommend to family and friends: Yes

Age range: Adult

Why: Sex, violence, and language

I would like to thank M.C. Vann and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Closer

All opinions expressed in this review of Closer are mine and I was not compensated in any way for this review.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

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