So Close (Blacklist)

An excellent read.

Sylvia has gone next level with this story.

Quick PSA: So Close is not Crossfire. Doesn’t look, smell, taste or feel like Crossfire. If you are expecting Crossfire, you won’t be disappointed. Baby, you’ll be amazed!

So Close is decidedly it’s very own deep, dark, deliciousness. Twists and turns abound. Oh, my, so many clues, so many dastardly deals, so many slithering souls; scratching, scheming, sexing their way to the top

So Close is NOT a breezy read. In that, I mean you want to savor Every. Single. Word. If you skim, you will lose the impact of this story. I suggest you set aside a couple of days to dive deep and plan to come up for air only when you have to pee, eat or sleep. Trust me on this.

Now let’s talk about the story: Sylvia’s wordsmithing is brilliant. I have read very few novels over the course of my lifetime (and I have read thousands) that can compete with Sylvia’s phrase-turning talent. I found myself at times, rereading sentences, dumbfounded by their brilliance.

The depth of Sylvia’s characterization is profound. Again, few novelists have the gift of creating multidimensional characters who are so flawed and damaged we can’t help but hurt along with them. There is one character in particular in So Close who is such a hot mess express, train wreck of an individual, and most unlikeable, who I found myself vigorously cheering on while I actually cringed at her actions. I can’t even right now. Seriously.

The multiple POV genius plot sucks you in like a cold hand from the grave and doesn’t let go even after The End. Oh, and it isn’t the end, it’s only just begun. I cannot stop thinking about the characters. I cannot stop thinking about the plot twists and turns. Just when you think you know someone, bam, you discover you are so far off course you can’t see the horizon. The depth and scope of each character is fascinating!

Here’s the thing about multiple POV storytelling—who the hell can you believe? My advice is to ALWAYS, without fail, Trust. The. Author. Sylvia is brilliant. She doesn’t mess up her storytelling or characterization.

So Close is a moody, evocative, thrilling tale set in contemporary New York City. The gothic undertones swirl seductively around the scheming women whose nucleus is a man obsessed with one of them, and who is willing to go to any lengths to protect her. Highly recommend.

I received an ARC of So Close. This is my first book from this author. The blurb sounded very intriguing. I was looking forward to starting the story. Unfortunately I DNF. There are too many POVs. I have no idea why Witte even has a POV. The plot is too jumbled and I think its because of the multi POVs. It also made it so it was hard to connect to one character over another. The Amy and Aaliyah chapters sound the same. I had seen some great reviews for this book before I started it. Unfortunately, its a no go for me.

This is not my first book from this author, so I was more than excited to read this book. I did not love this book as much as I did the previous book, I've read but this one was a good read. It's a one-time read for me but it is a story worth reading I think especially if you love suspense filled reads. The suspense aspect of the story was on point, but the flow of the story was a little too slow for my liking. The characters in the story were okay but I didn't fall in love with any of them. I did however, love having Gideon Cross and Eva involved in this story because their story was one, I truly loved. I liked Kane and Lily but I wish I believed in the chemistry between them. There was just something that was missing between them for me to completely believe in their love. There was definitely a lot of drama between the family members with jealousy, secrets, ulterior motives, and more. This story ends with a cliffhanger and although I thought this was a good story, I'm not dying for the conclusion of this story. I love a good suspense story, but I love when it has the same amount or even more romance within the story and this one didn't have that for me. I needed more of that romance to have truly love this story and that was lacking for me, so I think I will stop with this book.

This was a very interesting read which follows a family who all have secrets that could ruin themselves. I have never read a Sylvia Day book and was so excited when I got a copy of this book in the mail. I know that Day is known for romance but wow this was not what I was expecting. This book is dark and mysterious with complicated relationships. I do have to say that this book is very much not romance. I enjoyed Day’s writing style which is different than what I normally read. Honestly, I was so lost and confused that I still enjoyed the book. It made me think a lot even though I processed nothing. As I said, it’s different than what I usually read. The pacing was perfect and I enjoyed the setting. When reading this book, I was imagining everything in black and white because that was the vibe I was getting from the book. This book is in multiple povs.

The main characters in this book are Aliyah, Amy, Witte, and “Lily”. I was honestly shocked when I realized we didn’t get Kane’s pov which made me realize that these povs are not reliable. I did enjoy the characters as I thought they were uniquely written and there was so much to them in different ways. There wasn’t much development as I think it’s going to show in the second book. There are also many side characters in this book but I wouldn’t say they are very important or plot-changing to the story except Kane. This book has a small touch of romance though it’s not the main factor of the story but is steamy.

The ending was well done but you can tell it’s not the end as it’s just about to start. As much as I was confused, I still enjoyed this book. It was kind of like reading Flock by Kate Stewart where you don’t know what’s happening until the last book. I do recommend this book especially if you like dark, psychological reads.

So Close builds a world of perplexity with many characters that all play a vital role in unraveling the dark secrets that surround Kane and Lily. Read this novel slowly and cherish the great word building. I’ll be thinking about this story for a while because the last plot twist has me wondering who these characters really are. I can’t wait to read the next book.

SO CLOSE is the first instalment in Sylvia Day’s contemporary, adult BLACKLIST dark, erotic, suspense, thriller set in the author’s CROSSFIRE world. This is thirty-two-year old, billionaire businessman Kane Black and his wife Lily’s story line.

Told from four first person perspectives (Witte, Amy, Aliyah, Lily) and second person (Lily) SO CLOSE follows the dysfunctional Black / Armand family as they battle one another for control of the family fortune and businesses, businesses built with someone else’s money. Six years earlier, Kane Black’s wife Lily, disappeared and thought to have drowned a few days after their wedding, and in the interim, Kane Black struggled with what happened and why. Six years searching the faces of nameless women who looked like the woman he continued to love ended with the ‘return’ of his wife, a hit and run, and weeks of recovery and rehab. All is not well, Lily is not the woman Kane Black remembers, and the family must now battle someone else for control of Baharan Pharmaceuticals, ECRA+ (Cosmeceuticals) and the Social Creamery Management Agency.

Kane Black has romantacized and idolized his missing wife so much so that no other woman could compare. Women tried, including those he considered family and friends, but the memory of his wife, his Lily, could never be erased, no matter how anybody tried. The unreality of perfection was paramount, her existence was thought to be the madness of a fractured mind. Lily is an enigma-Kane’s obsession a mystery and bewilderment but with her return, more questions arise for everyone involved.

The secondary and supporting characters play a major role throughout the story line often taking the lead perspectives: Kane Black’s siblings Darius Armand and his wife Amy, brother Ramin Armand, and their sister Rosana Armand; their mother Aliyah; Kane’s majordomo and security specialist Nick Witte; Tech specialist Ryan Landon of LanCorp; Drs Goldstein and Hamid, and the return of Gideon and Eva Cross.

Throughout the story Lily talks to herself, about Lily in third person but addresses Kane (to the reader) in second person point of view. We are up close and personal with Lily, Amy, Aliyah and Witte’s thoughts and thought processes-Lily’s thoughts reveal a darkness, an unknown, a secret past that is about to return. Kane Black’s persona and power are revealed through his interactions with, and observations by other characters- Kane’s perception and knowledge all come from second-hand information.

SO CLOSE is a slow building story line; a complex and detailed tale involving many moving and hidden parts following several intersecting pathways and channels. Think ‘SUCCESSION’ but more dysfunctional, darker and dangerous with assassins, espionage, and organized crime, hidden and blatant desperation, infidelity, jealousy and greed, secret lives, obsession and betrayal. The narcissism is strong; the hate is vitriolic and acerbic; the desolation and misery are flagrant; the power and control are dominant. The premise is heavy and intricate; the romance is bewitching; the characters are desperate, determined and dynamic. SO CLOSE ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

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.

Let me start by saying you can consider this an “outsider review” because this is not my usual genre of choice at all. I took on the book because the publicist has set me up with many great books over the years and I figured, why not try something outside my comfort zone? Now, that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s begin. The writing is quite good; I can tell this is an author that’s been around the bend a few times. There’s a definite focus on mystery here, beyond the happenings of the supposedly-dead wife of Kane Black somehow returning from the dead. There’s also the whole “is Kane a good or a bad guy” question that will probably cycle with readers throughout. Personally, I was bored by him but I’ll circle back to that. So Close has a strong mystery that will continue in at least one other book. It has also has a delicious cast of icky people high on themselves or hating themselves for wanting/having Kane. Everyone is eying the other, everyone has their own hidden agenda. Kane is a chess piece being fought over. There’s some good tension sprinkled throughout. If you like multiple POVs, you certainly have that variety here. Unfortunately, this book has a lot of slow sections, and the character jumping was a bit confusing at times. Because I would have trouble latching onto a particular character, I would end up zoning out and trying to figure out what was really happening. This is definitely a soap opera show in novel format. Who’s bad? Who’s good? Is anyone good? Why is Kane obsessed with his missing wife, yet sleeping with everyone in the city? I know this was supposed to be the author’s debut in thriller (from what I read) but this still felt very much like a romance novel to me. Dark, sure, but still a romantic mystery soaked in obsession. You have your typical rich dude that all the women want (cliché), as well as the women that guide him for their own purposes, or sleep with him for their own pursuits for hunger and power. I don’t understand why someone would fake their death and then remain in the city where their husband lives. Did you really not think you’d ever cross paths with him or someone who knew him? Maybe I missed something there. Like I said, I did zone out at times because this isn’t my forte.

The Bottom Line: Do you read a lot of romance? Are you looking for something more mysterious and twisty, something that calls to mind the soap operas that once dominated daytime television? Then So Close might be just the start to a new obsession you’ve been waiting for.

I feel like this book was a smidge out of my comfort zone, but I really ended up enjoying it! I loved the multiple POVs, and I am a sucker for privileged rich people drama. The entire storyline with Lily had me so confused the whole time, but I think that’s kind of the point and I really enjoyed it because it kept me wanting to read and wanting to figure it all out (which I never did). Also the smut… WOW. 10/10.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this and I’d recommend it to readers who enjoy:
- multiple POVs
- rich people drama
- unreliable narrator vibes
- smut

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.