Close to You by Kristen Proby - Release Day Post with Excerpt (Review by Cindy)

 

Kristen Proby is known for writing heartfelt characters with deep connections and sizzling passion. In her brand new Fusion Series from William Morrow, she seduces readers’ senses with the sexy, contemporary romance in which five best friends open a hot new restaurant together. Today, we are thrilled to bring you CLOSE TO YOU, the second book in the Fusion Series! CLOSE TO YOU brings readers the next story in this amazing cast of characters. Grab your copy of CLOSE TO YOU today and check out the special offer below!

   

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kristen Proby comes the second novel in her sizzling Fusion series.

Camilla, “Cami,” LaRue was five-years-old when she first fell in love with Landon Palazzo. Everyone told her the puppy love would fade—they clearly never met Landon. When he left after graduation without a backward glance, she was heartbroken. But Cami grew up, moved on, and became part-owner of wildly popular restaurant Seduction. She has everything she could want…or so she thinks.

After spending the last twelve years as a Navy fighter pilot, Landon returns to Portland to take over the family construction business. When he catches a glimpse of little Cami LaRue, he realizes she’s not so little any more. He always had a soft spot for his little sister’s best friend, but nothing is soft now when he’s around the gorgeous restauranteur.

Landon isn’t going to pass up the chance to make the girl-next-door his. She’s never been one for romance, but he’s just the one to change her mind. Will seduction be just the name of her restaurant or will Cami let him get close enough to fulfill all her fantasies?

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Excerpt

PROLOGUE
 ~Landon~
 “Are you packed?” my sister, Mia, asks through the phone. Her voice is husky with sleep, which makes sense since it’s the middle of the night back home in Portland, Oregon.
 “I leave tomorrow, Mia. Of course I’m not packed.” She snickers. I just finished up my last debriefing meeting, my last day as an officer in the Navy. I grip the zipper of my flight uniform and sigh. “It’s not right.”
 “I know,” she says quietly. “But you’re safe and whole, and you could be dead, Landon, so I’ll take it.”

I frown, staring at myself in the mirror as I unzip my uniform for the last time. I’ll never wear it again, never pilot a plane again.
 What the fuck am I supposed to do now? The Navy gave me options, but if I can’t fly, there’s no sense in it. Flying isn’t just what I do, it’s who I am.
 “You’re overthinking,” Mia says.
 “I’m a pilot, Mia. This is what I love. It wasn’t supposed to end like this.”
 “You’re alive,” she says.
 “Am I?” I murmur, then shake my head and wince at the neck pain that still nags me from time to time.

Ejecting from an F- 16 will cause a crick in the neck. And a loss of an inch in height that may never return, along with an entire Naval career.
 Son of a bitch.
 “This has been the longest four months of our lives, Landon. We’re all anxious to see you.”
 “I’ll be home in a few days,” I reply as I pull a T- shirt over my head and throw the last of my belongings in a box that the Navy will have sent to me from Italy.
 I loved being in Italy for the past few years, and God knows I didn’t plan to leave it like this.
 But I am. Maybe Mia’s right; at least I’m alive and I can walk and live a normal life.
 I just can’t fly.
 And that’s what hurts more than any injury from the crash.
 “What time should I come get you from the airport?”
 “No need,” I reply, regretting calling my sister and waking her up. I just didn’t know what else to do when I came in here and was faced with boxes and the end of a career I love. “I’ll get there.”
 “Landon— ”
 “It’s okay, really. I’ll see you in a few days.”
 “Be safe,” she says. “And, Landon?”
 “Yeah.”
 “It’s going to be okay.”
 I force a grin and a nod, though she can’t see either. “Of course it is.”
 We say our good- byes and I sit on the edge of the bed, scrub my hands over my face, and take a deep breath. I hope she’s right.

Review

(By Cindy)

Close to You is the standalone second book in the Fusion Series by Kristen Proby, and it’s Cami’s story. Can I just say, I am absolutely LOVING this series! The fun thing about a Kristen Proby series is that the characters from past books make return appearances, so it’s like catching up with old friends. I love that about this author.

Best friends Addie, Cami, Mia, Riley and Kat own Seduction, the trendiest new restaurant in Portland. These are some of the strongest female characters I’ve read from this author. Each woman brings her own kind of intelligence and determination to the table. Every one of them has her own distinct disposition, but it’s the unique personalities that make them so fascinating.  I love the fact that they aren’t afraid to tell it like it is. It’s also no secret that they love and care for one another deeply, and are willing to do whatever it takes when it comes to having the others’ back. I think it’s the kind of friendship every woman wishes for.

Landon is Mia’s brother. Recently discharged from the Navy after an airplane injury that left him unable to fly, Landon has come comes home to Portland to mend - physically and emotionally. When Cami pays him a welcome home visit, Landon is quickly reminded why he left in the first place. Cami has had a schoolgirl crush on her friend’s older brother since forever, and the attraction was definitely mutual. Except Cami is no longer a schoolgirl – a fact that comes immediately front and center the minute they lay eyes on one another.

The roles of Cami and Landon were somewhat different than other contemporary romance stories.  Landon didn’t come across as the usual alpha male character I generally expect to find. Oh, he definitely has confidence, and there are certainly times when his Naval Pilot instincts kick in, but Landon has a soft, amenable side – a quality that definitely shines through when it comes to Cami.

Cami, on the other hand, is assertive and headstrong. She’s smart, and definitely full of sass. She knows what she wants, and she goes for it. Except, of course, when it comes to Landon. In that department, she’s clearly allowing her head to guard her heart.

At the risk of spoiling the ending, Cami and Landon eventually find their way. And that’s the thing I can always count on from Kristen Proby. Her characters struggle – even argue – but they always find their way, growing in the process. There was a little less predictably this time, though. And, yes, there were tears, both sad and happy. In the end, though, Landon and Cami got their HEA, and I got mine. 

Five <sigh> stars.

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And Don’t Miss the First Novel in the Fusion Series, LISTEN TO ME!

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About Kristen Proby: New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Kristen Proby is the author of the bestselling With Me In Seattle and Love Under the Big Sky series. She has a passion for a good love story and strong, humorous characters with a strong sense of loyalty and family. Her men are the alpha type; fiercely protective and a bit bossy, and her ladies are fun, strong, and not afraid to stand up for themselves. Kristen lives in Montana, where she enjoys coffee, chocolate and sunshine. And naps.         

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