Kathryn Shay - Close To You

CLOSE TO YOU tells the story of Secret Service Agent CJ Ludzecky, who is assigned to the coveted Vice Presidential Protection Division, guarding the Second Lady of the United States and her two children. After overcoming a rocky start in the Service, CJ is out to prove herself big-time. There's no room for men in her life, especially not the Second Lady's charming, sexy, sensitive brother, Aidan O'Neil.
In this Secret Service romance, back-dropped by the hustle of New York City, the political world of Washington, D.C. and the pastoral scenery of the Finger Lakes, CJ tries to protect her charges, while Aidan tries to persuade her to let him into her life. The invasion of the press, a hostage situation involving the Vice President, a former gang member and a kidnapping attempt all move the story—and CJ and Aidan's relationship—to a stunning conclusion. 

Comment: Last year I got interested in reading the first book in this O'Neil series by author Kathryn Shay because it featured an enemy-to-lovers plot I usually like. I've enjoyed that book enough to want to rad more and I've discovered the author has all couples in this series sort of enemies or with different perspectives and still they would fall in love. This is the story of Aidan, brother of Bailey, the female protagonist of book #1.

Aidan is trying to find a way to convince his father he might be able to have a career in photography but his father immediately has a heart attack, which propels action from the whole family, including his sister, now married to the vice president of the US and with her come the secret service agents in charge of her protection, as well as of her children. 

One of the agents is CJ Ludzecki, thought to be one of the best female agents working with the vice president's team but who has some rumors following her. 

The attraction between CJ and Aidan is immediate even if they express it by going head to head. However, as life goes on and situations arise which put them close to one another, can they ignore the circumstances and find a way to be a couple?

I had high hopes, going into this story, that the difference in lifestyle between the protagonists would the center point of the plot. Although the work both protagonists put them in different levels, I can't help but feeling it would be easier to discuss. CJ's work was dangerous on its own way I can totally get it; but being that difficult it wasn't and so I felt the conflict could have arisen from a different area. After all, at the end, it wasn't that impossible to solve things. 

Nevertheless, I can appreciate the fact the author took time to exemplify why the work related issues were driving the protagonists apart and why, until some point, it was big enough conflict.

Another aspect driving the plot forward is how CJ's past experiences in regards to her job were filtered through the need to act her role. She must be ethical and proper at all times and in terms of work advancement, she can't have reasons to not be respected by her peers. I do understand this need to be a good professional and it was interesting enough to see how falling in love doesn't mean you can put aside all the usual daily worries inherent to a job but... in terms of a romance plot it was a little too much.

Thinking about this subject, though, I can't just put aside the fact the romance itself was a little off. I mean, CJ and Aidan were a good enough couple and I liked how they took time to accept and work on their mutual feelings. However, the way they discussed their "relationship" and who they were individually just didn't make me that eager to see them find a HEA.

I suppose I could understand both their reasoning s to be who they were but for some reason I could accept CJ's life choices and personality a lot better than Aidan's. Still trying to figure out why.

An element of this story I liked was how the previous characters all made an appearance and the O'Neil family was very present. At the same time, the romance between Aidan and CJ only seemed to go on because they were "forced" to interact due to the others. I just don't think their story was as romantic as it could have and the secondary characters, despite being enjoyable to see their interactions, weren't really important for this book even if it was for them the plot existed. 

My opinion on this book is that something is off but I can't say it's this or that element alone that did it, but probably the more emphasis on the heroine's difficulties over the hero's is something to point at; after all I feel like she got more air time and development.

I think there's a certain balance missing in this story. The elements the author focused on the most were interesting yes, but then others were just not as detailed. It makes the whole book feel incomplete. Then, after many pages of doubts, of not knowing what to do for both protagonists, we have a cheesy epilogue that solves it all in a pretty bow. I found the end too quick and easy for the sort of drama we had throughout the book. Another failed detail in my opinion.

I still want to know what happens to the other single brothers so I'll read their stories, hoping they can be as dynamic and well balanced as the first story in the series felt like for me.

Grade:7/10