kara_hildebrand's review against another edition
5.0
Close is the first book in the Ryder Brothers series by the talented Laurelin Paige. Each brother gets his own book written by a different author! I love this idea. Want by Kayti McGee and More by J.D. Hawkins. I have never read anything by Kayti or J.D. so I'm very excited to get my hands on these. I've been a fan of Laurelin's for a very long time. She writes always sexy heroes and heroines and I have to say Nick and Natalie are a few of my favorites. Sexy younger rockstar, older good girl, America's Sweetheart actress. An unlikely couple, but from their first encounter the chemistry is off the charts. So maybe Nick fantasized about Natalia over the years. But now he knows the woman. She's fun, sexy, smart and dedicated to her career. Natalia needs no strings sex in her life and the younger rock god is just who she needs. They have fun in and out of the bedroom, but what happens when emotions get involved. Will Natalia run scared? Will Nick let her go? I loved this story! Nick and Natalia are so great together. I love how mature and adult he is. I never once thought, oh my he's so young. He never had a problem talking about his feelings and I love that in a man. He also has a very filthy mouth! Overall I laughed, had to fan myself, was cheering for her and smiled a lot. I can't wait to see what Kayti has in store for us!
God, I could write a whole song about her mouth. I could have the whole thing composed tonight if I just stayed here kissing her, nothing but kissing her.
"We're all jealous because you have the chance to touch his penis. With your vagina. And we're all going to think you're lame if you don't."
I'm putting myself on the line, inviting her to change paths in our relationship, and there's every chance she'll break my heart. But the risk is worth it. Because the reward is getting her.
God, I could write a whole song about her mouth. I could have the whole thing composed tonight if I just stayed here kissing her, nothing but kissing her.
"We're all jealous because you have the chance to touch his penis. With your vagina. And we're all going to think you're lame if you don't."
I'm putting myself on the line, inviting her to change paths in our relationship, and there's every chance she'll break my heart. But the risk is worth it. Because the reward is getting her.
smatthew459's review
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
wineanlatenightreads's review against another edition
5.0
Close
What a great May December love story. This story just brought all the feels about not jumping to conclusions about what the other person wants. You just never know. And though their were times the story ran a little slow for me it was still a good romance book.
What a great May December love story. This story just brought all the feels about not jumping to conclusions about what the other person wants. You just never know. And though their were times the story ran a little slow for me it was still a good romance book.
csharp0710's review against another edition
5.0
Older woman, younger man romance and it’s hot! Love that trope and Laurelin nailed it with this one! She’s an actress and he’s a rockstar. Take a chance on Nick Ryder!
daisybox's review against another edition
3.0
It was refreshing to read a rock star / actress story without the classic bitchy ex, manipulative manager or the psycho groupie !
bookscrazy87's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely loved every second. Love the characters and storyline. I love Laurelin Paige's books they never disapoint and always amazing. I want to read it again. I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
bookaddictreviews's review against another edition
5.0
Natalia Lowen is an actress who has spent her career maintaining the status of America’s Sweetheart. Nick Ryder was 1/3 of the Ryder Brothers, a band he was in with his older brothers, but now he is on is own and making a career for himself, living the Rockstar life.
Their worlds collide at a club and the connection between the two was truly lust at first sight. However, Natalia didn’t want to have the bad girl image, she couldn’t be seen as a bad girl, and getting caught with a man 13 years younger than her would give her just that image.
I absolutely loved Nick! He is right up there with Hudson, Donovan and Weston for me when it comes to the men written by Laurelin. He may be young, but he is such an old soul. He is a romantic and boy did he make me swoon. I also loved Natalia. You could really feel her struggles when it came to wanting to maintain her “good girl” image, but wanting to give in to her true feelings and her wants.
The secondary characters in this story were also fantastic. Hadley was amazing, not just a “life designer” but also an amazing friend to Natalia. Rowen was just hilarious (seriously, that girl should have her own crazy story!). I can’t wait to read the other books in this series about Jake and Jonas, plus also get more of Nick and Natalia along the way!
Definitely a must read of 2018 and another fantastic story from Laurelin!
Their worlds collide at a club and the connection between the two was truly lust at first sight. However, Natalia didn’t want to have the bad girl image, she couldn’t be seen as a bad girl, and getting caught with a man 13 years younger than her would give her just that image.
I absolutely loved Nick! He is right up there with Hudson, Donovan and Weston for me when it comes to the men written by Laurelin. He may be young, but he is such an old soul. He is a romantic and boy did he make me swoon. I also loved Natalia. You could really feel her struggles when it came to wanting to maintain her “good girl” image, but wanting to give in to her true feelings and her wants.
The secondary characters in this story were also fantastic. Hadley was amazing, not just a “life designer” but also an amazing friend to Natalia. Rowen was just hilarious (seriously, that girl should have her own crazy story!). I can’t wait to read the other books in this series about Jake and Jonas, plus also get more of Nick and Natalia along the way!
Definitely a must read of 2018 and another fantastic story from Laurelin!
reading_rainy's review against another edition
4.0
I’m gonna go with 3.5 stars rounded up for Nick’s overall sweetness. Nick has to be the most sensitive alpha (ish) hero I’ve read in a long time. He is twenty-three and has been in a band since his early teens. He’s lived quite a life in those 23 years.
Natalia (36) has molded her acting career and now she’s an expert at keeping everyone at a distance. She’s Hollywood’s good girl...but the moment she meets Nick she wants to be a little bad.
I had mixed emotions reading this. Nat is obnoxiously immature for being thirty-six. She can’t make up her mind and waffles back and forth on her ‘relationship’ with Nick. They started out as simply a fling, but they both eventually want more. I disliked how the author tries to make Nick a white-knight kind of hero, but then slips in every now and then how he’s had ‘much kinkier sex with other women’ or ‘the threesomes he’s enjoyed in the past’. It was like she was struggling with making him a bad boy, but also a good boy? It didn’t fit his overall attitude throughout the story. Nick has been half in love with Nat since he was a young man, watching her movies, and dreaming of what it would be like to be with her.
Nick felt SO MUCH love for Nat before she was even willing to admit she liked him. She just kept pushing him away. And she It wasn’t until the end of the story, that they finally became a couple. Thank goodness for the epilogue.
Natalia (36) has molded her acting career and now she’s an expert at keeping everyone at a distance. She’s Hollywood’s good girl...but the moment she meets Nick she wants to be a little bad.
I had mixed emotions reading this. Nat is obnoxiously immature for being thirty-six. She can’t make up her mind and waffles back and forth on her ‘relationship’ with Nick. They started out as simply a fling, but they both eventually want more. I disliked how the author tries to make Nick a white-knight kind of hero, but then slips in every now and then how he’s had ‘much kinkier sex with other women’ or ‘the threesomes he’s enjoyed in the past’. It was like she was struggling with making him a bad boy, but also a good boy? It didn’t fit his overall attitude throughout the story. Nick has been half in love with Nat since he was a young man, watching her movies, and dreaming of what it would be like to be with her.
Nick felt SO MUCH love for Nat before she was even willing to admit she liked him. She just kept pushing him away. And she
Spoiler
made me furious when he writes her this beautiful love song and she’s like ya that was nice, let’s head to the bedroom because this relationship is only about sex for me.morganreadsoccasionally's review against another edition
4.0
I really like Nick and Nat's story. I'm always here for my heroines living their unapologetic truth. Nat does that in spades.
syndi3's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
| When I started listening to Close, I do not know what to expect. From my experience with Miss Paige, she can certainly write a hot steamy smutty scenes. She delivers on that department.
As for the story, it was standard. I read mote in depth age gap forbidden romamce where the heroine is older than the hero. In Close the hero falls first.
Nothing very memorable from their romance.
As for the story, it was standard. I read mote in depth age gap forbidden romamce where the heroine is older than the hero. In Close the hero falls first.
Nothing very memorable from their romance.