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Too Close
Three weeks before their wedding day, Nicola and Greg discover that they may have the same mother.
If they really are half-siblings, they face a devastating choice: break all of society's rules and fight for their love, or break their hearts and give each other up. A DNA test will reveal the truth, but their love is tested to the breaking point during the agonizing wait for the answer. Nicola is prepared to do anything to stay together; Greg sees only the sin.
Yet, if they do not have each other, they have nothing. Only together can they triumph over adversity.
'Too Close' will take you on an emotional roller coaster and make you question the rules that dictate who you are allowed to love.
If they really are half-siblings, they face a devastating choice: break all of society's rules and fight for their love, or break their hearts and give each other up. A DNA test will reveal the truth, but their love is tested to the breaking point during the agonizing wait for the answer. Nicola is prepared to do anything to stay together; Greg sees only the sin.
Yet, if they do not have each other, they have nothing. Only together can they triumph over adversity.
'Too Close' will take you on an emotional roller coaster and make you question the rules that dictate who you are allowed to love.
258 pages, Paperback
First published January 25, 2013
1 person is currently reading
659 people want to read
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June 2, 2013
Nicola works as travel editor for a large newspaper in San Francisco. She is somewhere in her thirties, reasonably satisfied with her life, but recovering from a love affair that went bad and resulted in her lover leaving her for her (female) boss (which is how she got promoted to her job). As a result of this experience, she has made herself a vow never to date anyone who works for her company.
When she meets Greg (so much physically like a male version of herself that many people remark about the resemblance) she begins to question her resolve about this self-made rule. The first part of the book is about the growth of their attraction to each other and the overcoming of Nicola’s reluctance.
She is a runner and a lover of plants. He lives on a boat and is interested in sailing. Her particular friends are a French couple with a child, his an American couple with a child. He is a church goer (at least some of the time). She is not. Neither of them lives with both natural parents. He has a step- father and she is adopted. They have many differences but none seem very serious. They are very much alike and they become lovers.
Both of them want to have children and it is after they decide to marry and the inevitable introductions to their two families take place that the real trouble surfaces. Everything goes well with Nicola’s family. They all like Greg and he gets along with them. When he takes her home to Seattle everything seems fine again. It is when Greg’s mother learns that Nicola was adopted and when and where she was born, that the pieces begin to fall into place and the uncanny resemblance between Greg and Nicola leads to his mother’s confession. Greg’s mother, Mona, it turns out was not always the charming and upstanding church-goer she now seems to be. She is actually the survivor of a harrowing youth as a run-away groupie with a musical group and had given birth in desperate circumstances to a baby girl whom she then abandoned.
The seemingly far-fetched likelihood that Greg and Nicola are half- brother and sister suddenly becomes a real possibility. If it doesn’t really become very believable to the reader, at least the fact that the horrified young couple and their families might find it believable is reasonably convincing.
Everything is different now. While they wait for the results from DNA testing, all the family relationships are tested not to mention the central love affair itself. At first everyone assumes that, in the event it turns out the lovers are siblings, they will separate. It is Nicola’s French friend, Helene, who suggests that since they have been having sex all along anyway and since (if they adopted children instead of procreating) it really might not have to be such an obstacle to their love as it seemed. Nicola is initially horrified by this idea, but comes to accept it. When she suggests it to Greg he is even more horrified and cannot seem to accept it. Their philosophical-religious differences surface. The specter of family disapproval and even rejection arises. They fight with each other and their relationships with the various members of both families change.
It is this part of the book that I found most interesting and most convincing. A love story has to have problems, otherwise it’s not a story. Although it seems far-fetched, once this problem is accepted as a possibility it becomes a more interesting one for making their differences more compelling and more believable than many. The author writes well—clearly and in excellent English. I don’t read many romance novels so it’s difficult for me to say how it may read to readers who are particularly fond of that genre, but I found it interesting and enjoyable.
When she meets Greg (so much physically like a male version of herself that many people remark about the resemblance) she begins to question her resolve about this self-made rule. The first part of the book is about the growth of their attraction to each other and the overcoming of Nicola’s reluctance.
She is a runner and a lover of plants. He lives on a boat and is interested in sailing. Her particular friends are a French couple with a child, his an American couple with a child. He is a church goer (at least some of the time). She is not. Neither of them lives with both natural parents. He has a step- father and she is adopted. They have many differences but none seem very serious. They are very much alike and they become lovers.
Both of them want to have children and it is after they decide to marry and the inevitable introductions to their two families take place that the real trouble surfaces. Everything goes well with Nicola’s family. They all like Greg and he gets along with them. When he takes her home to Seattle everything seems fine again. It is when Greg’s mother learns that Nicola was adopted and when and where she was born, that the pieces begin to fall into place and the uncanny resemblance between Greg and Nicola leads to his mother’s confession. Greg’s mother, Mona, it turns out was not always the charming and upstanding church-goer she now seems to be. She is actually the survivor of a harrowing youth as a run-away groupie with a musical group and had given birth in desperate circumstances to a baby girl whom she then abandoned.
The seemingly far-fetched likelihood that Greg and Nicola are half- brother and sister suddenly becomes a real possibility. If it doesn’t really become very believable to the reader, at least the fact that the horrified young couple and their families might find it believable is reasonably convincing.
Everything is different now. While they wait for the results from DNA testing, all the family relationships are tested not to mention the central love affair itself. At first everyone assumes that, in the event it turns out the lovers are siblings, they will separate. It is Nicola’s French friend, Helene, who suggests that since they have been having sex all along anyway and since (if they adopted children instead of procreating) it really might not have to be such an obstacle to their love as it seemed. Nicola is initially horrified by this idea, but comes to accept it. When she suggests it to Greg he is even more horrified and cannot seem to accept it. Their philosophical-religious differences surface. The specter of family disapproval and even rejection arises. They fight with each other and their relationships with the various members of both families change.
It is this part of the book that I found most interesting and most convincing. A love story has to have problems, otherwise it’s not a story. Although it seems far-fetched, once this problem is accepted as a possibility it becomes a more interesting one for making their differences more compelling and more believable than many. The author writes well—clearly and in excellent English. I don’t read many romance novels so it’s difficult for me to say how it may read to readers who are particularly fond of that genre, but I found it interesting and enjoyable.
April 21, 2013
What would you do if you found out the person you're about to marry might be your half-brother? How would you feel? Do you think the relationship would survive those doubts, tough time, the pressure – even if it's not true? Would you fight for your love? Or would you run the other way? Is it the greatest taboo for you too?
Are you intrigued yet?
Greg and Nicola met at a bar, where everyone from work goes for a drink on Friday nights. Although Greg was attracted to Nicola immediately, he was told she doesn't go out with her colleagues, ever since her ex-boyfriend cheated on her with her boss. Still, Greg is determined to change her mind, and what starts off as a friendship soon turns into a relationship. Six months later, they become engaged. It does seem a bit rushed, but they are great together, love each other, so why wait?
Three weeks before the wedding, it's time for Nicola to meet Greg's family. Everything is going great, but once she tells them she's adopted, things suddenly become a lot more complicated. Greg's mother Mona shares secrets from her past, that are about to rock their world. Could Nicola really be Mona's daughter? Yes, she's the right age. Yes, they look alike, and many people even thought Nicola and Greg are siblings. But that still doesn't mean anything, right? Or wrong? They have two weeks, until the DNA test results arrive, to find out.
The theme of this book is both refreshing and disturbing. You can't help but wonder – how would you react, what would you do... what will happen to them? What started off as a light and cute romance, turned into a gripping pageturner and made me finish the story in one sitting.
I liked both Greg and Nicola. Their love was so obvious, which made their fights, struggle to cope with the situation, and the effect it had on them and their families and friends, even harder. Ms. Krall did an amazing job portraying the characters. Such a sensitive topic may have been too much to deal with, but it somehow never felt wrong. I just kept hoping there's a way for them to stay together, no matter what.
If you're looking for a not-so-typical romance, don't miss this book. Too Close is an incredible story that will make you question a lot of things, none of which will feel wrong all of a sudden. Because that's what true love is supposed to be about, right? It should conquer all.
Are you intrigued yet?
Greg and Nicola met at a bar, where everyone from work goes for a drink on Friday nights. Although Greg was attracted to Nicola immediately, he was told she doesn't go out with her colleagues, ever since her ex-boyfriend cheated on her with her boss. Still, Greg is determined to change her mind, and what starts off as a friendship soon turns into a relationship. Six months later, they become engaged. It does seem a bit rushed, but they are great together, love each other, so why wait?
Three weeks before the wedding, it's time for Nicola to meet Greg's family. Everything is going great, but once she tells them she's adopted, things suddenly become a lot more complicated. Greg's mother Mona shares secrets from her past, that are about to rock their world. Could Nicola really be Mona's daughter? Yes, she's the right age. Yes, they look alike, and many people even thought Nicola and Greg are siblings. But that still doesn't mean anything, right? Or wrong? They have two weeks, until the DNA test results arrive, to find out.
The theme of this book is both refreshing and disturbing. You can't help but wonder – how would you react, what would you do... what will happen to them? What started off as a light and cute romance, turned into a gripping pageturner and made me finish the story in one sitting.
I liked both Greg and Nicola. Their love was so obvious, which made their fights, struggle to cope with the situation, and the effect it had on them and their families and friends, even harder. Ms. Krall did an amazing job portraying the characters. Such a sensitive topic may have been too much to deal with, but it somehow never felt wrong. I just kept hoping there's a way for them to stay together, no matter what.
If you're looking for a not-so-typical romance, don't miss this book. Too Close is an incredible story that will make you question a lot of things, none of which will feel wrong all of a sudden. Because that's what true love is supposed to be about, right? It should conquer all.
June 20, 2013
Too Close starts with two nice people pleasantly falling in love. There's no real conflict as the book unfolds in a leisurely manner for the first five chapters.
In the sixth chapter, however, the emotional roller coaster begins, and continues throughout the rest of this well-crafted and emotional book. The unthinkable becomes not only thinkable, but necessary to think about, and to be dealt with, as his mother's secret threatens their every happiness. I don't want to say too much, because I"m hoping Ms. Krall will re-write her blurb to something that doesn't give away as much of the plot. The question is, when two people really love each other, what will they be willing to give up in order to stay together - not just friends, but family, career, home, even core values are on the table for discussion. Things do come together for a satisfying "happily ever after" ending, but even knowing the tropes of the romance genre, I was wondering how and whether Ms. Krall would be able to pull it off. Pull it off, she does, and quite well too. I highly recommend this book.
This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.
In the sixth chapter, however, the emotional roller coaster begins, and continues throughout the rest of this well-crafted and emotional book. The unthinkable becomes not only thinkable, but necessary to think about, and to be dealt with, as his mother's secret threatens their every happiness. I don't want to say too much, because I"m hoping Ms. Krall will re-write her blurb to something that doesn't give away as much of the plot. The question is, when two people really love each other, what will they be willing to give up in order to stay together - not just friends, but family, career, home, even core values are on the table for discussion. Things do come together for a satisfying "happily ever after" ending, but even knowing the tropes of the romance genre, I was wondering how and whether Ms. Krall would be able to pull it off. Pull it off, she does, and quite well too. I highly recommend this book.
This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.
February 23, 2013
I came across Too Close on accident really. I was just looking for some books to download on Amazon and this book sprang to my attention. Clicking on it to see what it was about, I knew I had to read it. I had never read a book about a couple maybe being related but from the start I was completely hooked. I wanted to know how the realization that they could be related came to light and how it was dealt with as really, it is such a delicate and emotional issue to deal with but I felt Ms. Krall wrote this book spectacularly. She dealt with the issue in a seriousness matter but also in a way to kind of bring a light release to the issue.
She had me feeling every emotion all the characters’ felt, especially Greg, Nicola, Mona – Greg’s mother and Gwen – Nicola’s adoptive mother. I could see everyone’s side during the waiting for the results, especially both Greg and Nicola’s constant arguments over the whole ‘sibling’ thing because they both had very different views on what to do over it. I was on edge until the DNA results were shown because I just had to know the outcome. I had come to love Greg and Nicola and I hated that it could be over before it truly began for them. I love it when books evoke a whole load of emotions from me because you know it’s a great book when that happens!
As the synopsis mentions, Greg and Nicola meet at a bar one night where everyone from work goes to on a Friday. They seem to really get on and there is an obvious attraction for both of them but Max, a work colleague, tells Greg that Nicola doesn’t go out with work colleagues since her ex-boyfriend cheated on her throughout their relationship with her boss. Greg is determined to make her change her mind about her rule and starts off little, asking her out just as friends. Nicola knows this isn’t true, that it is a date, but somehow she doesn’t seem to care. She likes Greg and after a few more dates, it seems the rule is broken.
They fall for each other fast. Spending nearly every day together and one night, after being together for 6 months, they talk about children and getting married, which leads to them becoming engaged. Although it seems rushed, you can really see the chemistry and the love the both of them have for one another and when you know you’ve found the one, why would you wait? Love has no time limit.
Nicola’s parents and siblings really like Greg, so when it’s her turn to meet Greg’s parents, three weeks before the wedding, shes really nervous. She gets on well with his parents and his sister but when she tells the story of her adoption that is when everything goes pear shaped and secrets from Mona’s past are about to come to the surface and are set to test their relationship and love for one another. Could Greg and Nicola really be brother and sister?
It was so heartbreaking to think that they could be half-brother and sister. It tore my heart apart that Nicola and Greg loved each other so when this revitalisation came to light, it was so hard to watch them both struggle over what to do about that information and how to handle it. Greg seemed to adjust to it, trying to push it to the back of his mind. This was HIS Nicola, and no way could they be related, it just couldn’t be. But Nicola had a hard time dealing with it. She had never wanted to meet her real mother and knowing that the love of her life could be her brother and knowing Mona could be her mother just didn’t feel right to her at all. It was all she could think about.
Greg tried so hard to get her to forget that they could be related. He’d tell her that it’s ‘just me, it’s just us’ and he would do anything for her. For them to spend two weeks not knowing what the results of the DNA test would be was completely harrowing and gripping to read.
Greg has strong religious beliefs and so he knows that incest is a sin. Whereas Nicola isn’t religious and she wants to fight for their relationship if they are related. They fight a lot over this; religion being a main factor over the fights. I also though Greg was being hypercritical over the whole incest fight they had. It seemed he was okay being with Nicola knowing they could be related the past two weeks but when she tells him that there could be a way they could stay together if the results came back positive, he just went off the rails about how incest is a sin.
To love someone so much and find out you may be related, it’s got to be heartbreaking and emotional and such a tough situation to go through. I really understood the way they were acting; biting at one another with their ‘what if’s’ but also needing to be with one another, to support each other throughout the turmoil until they got the results back. I could never imagine myself in this situation, let alone think about what I would do if I was in this position.
I could really feel the emotions pouring from Nicola and Greg. To be put in this position, then having to wait for the results would cause havoc and uncertainty for anyone who goes through results like this or any other results.
You really do root for them not to be brother and sister though, because they truly are meant to be. They have both been badly hurt in the past and to finally meet and fall in love in such a short amount of time seemed like the right thing for them. They loved each other dearly and it’s clear to see they would do anything for one another. Greg fought from the start to breaking down Nicola’s barriers and thank god he was the one to break her rule. It was clear there was an instant attraction between them that going fast was just something that happened and it felt right.
I really don’t want to tell you what happened at the end with the results and I don’t want to write about the end and whether I enjoyed it or not because that would spoil the outcome. Let’s just say I cried at the results and leave it like that.
There are a few scenes I loved reading but I have to say the ‘bondage’ scene at the hotel. That made me completely giggle when I read it because they are both just so comfortable together, they both kind of take the piss out of BDSM, with Greg telling Nicola she would be a rubbish sex slave. I could definitely imagine that scene playing out in my mind, at how at ease they were together and how they could just laugh at the toys in the box that Greg’s sister sent them. It was nice that they could just forget about the situation they were in, even if it was just for a couple of hours. Where they could just be together and not worry about anything.
Gosh, you really do go through the emotions reading Too Close but I am so glad I found this book and got the chance to read it. It was great to see how this situation affected the families and friends they both had and their input and advice into their situation. Each character had something different to input and I loved the friends that Greg and Nicola had, they were with them from the start, supporting them.
Elizabeth Krall has written an amazing book in Too Close and I insist that you all read it!! It is different from other books I read, as I have yet to read a book like this, but boy am I glad. It’s a page turner. It’s about love, a struggle, a journey but most of all fighting for love. I definitely recommend this book to you all!
She had me feeling every emotion all the characters’ felt, especially Greg, Nicola, Mona – Greg’s mother and Gwen – Nicola’s adoptive mother. I could see everyone’s side during the waiting for the results, especially both Greg and Nicola’s constant arguments over the whole ‘sibling’ thing because they both had very different views on what to do over it. I was on edge until the DNA results were shown because I just had to know the outcome. I had come to love Greg and Nicola and I hated that it could be over before it truly began for them. I love it when books evoke a whole load of emotions from me because you know it’s a great book when that happens!
As the synopsis mentions, Greg and Nicola meet at a bar one night where everyone from work goes to on a Friday. They seem to really get on and there is an obvious attraction for both of them but Max, a work colleague, tells Greg that Nicola doesn’t go out with work colleagues since her ex-boyfriend cheated on her throughout their relationship with her boss. Greg is determined to make her change her mind about her rule and starts off little, asking her out just as friends. Nicola knows this isn’t true, that it is a date, but somehow she doesn’t seem to care. She likes Greg and after a few more dates, it seems the rule is broken.
They fall for each other fast. Spending nearly every day together and one night, after being together for 6 months, they talk about children and getting married, which leads to them becoming engaged. Although it seems rushed, you can really see the chemistry and the love the both of them have for one another and when you know you’ve found the one, why would you wait? Love has no time limit.
Nicola’s parents and siblings really like Greg, so when it’s her turn to meet Greg’s parents, three weeks before the wedding, shes really nervous. She gets on well with his parents and his sister but when she tells the story of her adoption that is when everything goes pear shaped and secrets from Mona’s past are about to come to the surface and are set to test their relationship and love for one another. Could Greg and Nicola really be brother and sister?
It was so heartbreaking to think that they could be half-brother and sister. It tore my heart apart that Nicola and Greg loved each other so when this revitalisation came to light, it was so hard to watch them both struggle over what to do about that information and how to handle it. Greg seemed to adjust to it, trying to push it to the back of his mind. This was HIS Nicola, and no way could they be related, it just couldn’t be. But Nicola had a hard time dealing with it. She had never wanted to meet her real mother and knowing that the love of her life could be her brother and knowing Mona could be her mother just didn’t feel right to her at all. It was all she could think about.
Greg tried so hard to get her to forget that they could be related. He’d tell her that it’s ‘just me, it’s just us’ and he would do anything for her. For them to spend two weeks not knowing what the results of the DNA test would be was completely harrowing and gripping to read.
Greg has strong religious beliefs and so he knows that incest is a sin. Whereas Nicola isn’t religious and she wants to fight for their relationship if they are related. They fight a lot over this; religion being a main factor over the fights. I also though Greg was being hypercritical over the whole incest fight they had. It seemed he was okay being with Nicola knowing they could be related the past two weeks but when she tells him that there could be a way they could stay together if the results came back positive, he just went off the rails about how incest is a sin.
To love someone so much and find out you may be related, it’s got to be heartbreaking and emotional and such a tough situation to go through. I really understood the way they were acting; biting at one another with their ‘what if’s’ but also needing to be with one another, to support each other throughout the turmoil until they got the results back. I could never imagine myself in this situation, let alone think about what I would do if I was in this position.
I could really feel the emotions pouring from Nicola and Greg. To be put in this position, then having to wait for the results would cause havoc and uncertainty for anyone who goes through results like this or any other results.
You really do root for them not to be brother and sister though, because they truly are meant to be. They have both been badly hurt in the past and to finally meet and fall in love in such a short amount of time seemed like the right thing for them. They loved each other dearly and it’s clear to see they would do anything for one another. Greg fought from the start to breaking down Nicola’s barriers and thank god he was the one to break her rule. It was clear there was an instant attraction between them that going fast was just something that happened and it felt right.
I really don’t want to tell you what happened at the end with the results and I don’t want to write about the end and whether I enjoyed it or not because that would spoil the outcome. Let’s just say I cried at the results and leave it like that.
There are a few scenes I loved reading but I have to say the ‘bondage’ scene at the hotel. That made me completely giggle when I read it because they are both just so comfortable together, they both kind of take the piss out of BDSM, with Greg telling Nicola she would be a rubbish sex slave. I could definitely imagine that scene playing out in my mind, at how at ease they were together and how they could just laugh at the toys in the box that Greg’s sister sent them. It was nice that they could just forget about the situation they were in, even if it was just for a couple of hours. Where they could just be together and not worry about anything.
Gosh, you really do go through the emotions reading Too Close but I am so glad I found this book and got the chance to read it. It was great to see how this situation affected the families and friends they both had and their input and advice into their situation. Each character had something different to input and I loved the friends that Greg and Nicola had, they were with them from the start, supporting them.
Elizabeth Krall has written an amazing book in Too Close and I insist that you all read it!! It is different from other books I read, as I have yet to read a book like this, but boy am I glad. It’s a page turner. It’s about love, a struggle, a journey but most of all fighting for love. I definitely recommend this book to you all!
January 28, 2013
What if this happened to me? I wondered when I read Too Close. What if I met the love of my life and it turned out he might be my brother?
Just like in Ship to Shore, Elizabeth Krall brings light humor and seriousness to a novel about two people Nicola and Greg that meet and fall deep in love very fast, and want to marry and have children. The novel shows them meeting and falling in love, then jumps ahead five months to when they decide to marry. That is when the really interesting part begins.
They live in San Francisco. She doesn’t meet his family in Seattle until three weeks before the wedding. Greg’s mother Mona is shocked to learn the details of how Nicola was found and adopted, and has to reveal her secret.
Is Nicola really Mona’s daughter? That’s the point of this story.
If she is, will Nicola and Greg break up? Or will they stay together with all that implies?
This is a gripping story that kept me turning pages until I knew how the DNA test turned out!
Greg has strong religious beliefs so is concerned that incest is a sin. That’s a major issue. Nicola is not religious so they fight about that. Like Greg says, it seems all they do is fight once they know about his mother. At times I wondered how they were going to get through it all.
Even though they start fighting they still love each other. The bathtub scene is great, and I laughed out loud at the bondage scene.
It was interesting to see the effect all this had on their families and friends. People are all different and these characters react in different ways.
But Too Close does have a happy ending and you just have to keep reading to see what happens!
Just like in Ship to Shore, Elizabeth Krall brings light humor and seriousness to a novel about two people Nicola and Greg that meet and fall deep in love very fast, and want to marry and have children. The novel shows them meeting and falling in love, then jumps ahead five months to when they decide to marry. That is when the really interesting part begins.
They live in San Francisco. She doesn’t meet his family in Seattle until three weeks before the wedding. Greg’s mother Mona is shocked to learn the details of how Nicola was found and adopted, and has to reveal her secret.
Is Nicola really Mona’s daughter? That’s the point of this story.
If she is, will Nicola and Greg break up? Or will they stay together with all that implies?
This is a gripping story that kept me turning pages until I knew how the DNA test turned out!
Greg has strong religious beliefs so is concerned that incest is a sin. That’s a major issue. Nicola is not religious so they fight about that. Like Greg says, it seems all they do is fight once they know about his mother. At times I wondered how they were going to get through it all.
Even though they start fighting they still love each other. The bathtub scene is great, and I laughed out loud at the bondage scene.
It was interesting to see the effect all this had on their families and friends. People are all different and these characters react in different ways.
But Too Close does have a happy ending and you just have to keep reading to see what happens!
November 18, 2014
I won this book from a Goodreads Giveaway.
The synopsis is clearly better than the book. Where to even begin?
First of all, Greg and Nicola fall in love. The relationship becomes serious and they decide to marry. Greg claims to have a spiritual relationship with God, and admonishes Nicola for not going to church. Time to meet the parents. One of the mothers decides that this may be her long lost child. Her guilt consumes her, so she reveals this tell-all to her unsuspecting husband and children. Decision time. Let's get a DNA test. And wait for the results.
Whoa . . . put the brakes on. Although he claims to be "religious", acting all pious, and that incest is the ultimate in sins, do they re-evaluate their relationship? One would think so. But while waiting for the DNA results, they continue their "sexcapades" with a lust and wanton desire that almost pales normal relationships. It's mostly what the book is about!
I believe in love ~ and lust. This book was more about lust, and unrequited sexual desires than any real issues.
If you want to read about a (possible) incestuous relationship between siblings, and be titillated by sexual taboos ~ than this for sure is your book. As for my copy? The recycling bin.
The synopsis is clearly better than the book. Where to even begin?
First of all, Greg and Nicola fall in love. The relationship becomes serious and they decide to marry. Greg claims to have a spiritual relationship with God, and admonishes Nicola for not going to church. Time to meet the parents. One of the mothers decides that this may be her long lost child. Her guilt consumes her, so she reveals this tell-all to her unsuspecting husband and children. Decision time. Let's get a DNA test. And wait for the results.
Whoa . . . put the brakes on. Although he claims to be "religious", acting all pious, and that incest is the ultimate in sins, do they re-evaluate their relationship? One would think so. But while waiting for the DNA results, they continue their "sexcapades" with a lust and wanton desire that almost pales normal relationships. It's mostly what the book is about!
I believe in love ~ and lust. This book was more about lust, and unrequited sexual desires than any real issues.
If you want to read about a (possible) incestuous relationship between siblings, and be titillated by sexual taboos ~ than this for sure is your book. As for my copy? The recycling bin.
July 16, 2013
I read this book a couple weeks ago and I have to stay it has stuck with me. I keep coming back to "how would I feel" and "what would I do?" if I or a friend was in that situation. I keep flopping back and forth on both sides of this moral dilemma.
In the book, Nicola and Greg fall in love and plan on getting married. When he takes her to meet his parents, his mother reveals a secret she has been carrying with her for years. She got pregnant many years ago and gave the baby up for adoption. She believes Nicola is her daughter she gave away.
Now things get interesting. I just couldn't put this book down. They decided to get a DNA test, but the results take 2 weeks. What would you do? Nicola and Greg are in love, they've been together for months. Do they just stop and wait for the results??? Do they continue as they have been and hope for the best? I can't imagine those agonizing 2 weeks. Of course, they are hoping they aren't related so they can get married and start the family they planned. But what if they are related? Then what?
Is Greg's mother also Nicola's mother? You're just going to have to read the book. Believe me, you won't be disappointed.
In the book, Nicola and Greg fall in love and plan on getting married. When he takes her to meet his parents, his mother reveals a secret she has been carrying with her for years. She got pregnant many years ago and gave the baby up for adoption. She believes Nicola is her daughter she gave away.
Now things get interesting. I just couldn't put this book down. They decided to get a DNA test, but the results take 2 weeks. What would you do? Nicola and Greg are in love, they've been together for months. Do they just stop and wait for the results??? Do they continue as they have been and hope for the best? I can't imagine those agonizing 2 weeks. Of course, they are hoping they aren't related so they can get married and start the family they planned. But what if they are related? Then what?
Is Greg's mother also Nicola's mother? You're just going to have to read the book. Believe me, you won't be disappointed.
July 24, 2013
This book is an attention-getting, sexy, and fun read! The story line is intriguing and held my interest to the very end. I kept hoping for a happy ending for Greg and Nicola and wasn't disappointed. The author writes about some very thought provoking issues-adoption, incest, teen pregnancy-while developing an engaging and entertaining story. There are many things that come into play in this book, which I believe makes it an ideal read for a bookclub.
Jill Dobbe, Author
HERE WE ARE & THERE WE GO
Jill Dobbe, Author
HERE WE ARE & THERE WE GO
August 16, 2014
"Too Close" has a very steady pace which allows the reader a lot of comfort. As the details become more intense, the story takes on a slightly darker tone.
Read full review in the 2013 July/August double issue of InD’tale Magazine.
Read full review in the 2013 July/August double issue of InD’tale Magazine.
March 18, 2014
I enjoyed the book. I just wish it had an epilogue to show the aftermath.
January 2, 2014
I enjoyed this one very much
November 25, 2020
What is this, the 19th century? Just because a woman owns her sexuality doesn't make her a slut. I'm 5% into the book, and the heroine disowns her 'friend' so people don't get the wrong idea by associating them together. And don't get me started on the hero. WHICH guy stops a woman when things are getting hot and heavy to say he's 'not that kind of guy.'
Judgemental, backward, and a complete waste of money.
Judgemental, backward, and a complete waste of money.
May 23, 2015
Copy received through Librarything in exchange for review.
Where to start with this one? I was looking forward to reading Too Close as the premise of it sounded completely different than any book I've read to date. And I have to say, I was impressed with the story line as well as the author's writing, but in the end, it just left me wanting for more.
The Positive: I've noticed lately many writers are leaving out descriptive prose, and I think this is crime! I like IMAGERY! Tell me what the view out the window looks like, give me some smooth words about the starry night... In this respect, Elizabeth Krall did not fail to deliver. In fact, I highlighted a few of these passages because I was impressed.
Right off the bat, I was intrigued - the characters Nicola and Greg were well written, and with just the right amount of description that I could picture them. The romance starts off sweet and grows stronger with each chapter. And then, we get to the heart of the story. What a situation to find themselves in!
The Negative: Unfortunately, after the main conflict is introduced, it seems Krall ran out of story. From about 40% to the about 85%, the story rolls along, chapter after chapter, without any real impact on the main conflict. Yes, the scenes were nice and showed pleasant moments between the couple, and some expected reactions from Greg and Nicola's families, but none-the-less, they did not move the story forward, and I was uninterested in much of it.
Depending on what you like: The sex scenes could be considered 'just enough' or if you like a sexier read, they can be considered disappointingly lacking. The reader is offered some nice description of the events leading up to consummation, but then served up only a brief comment about Greg and Nicola's mutual pleasure of the act, or a fade to black, both scenarios offering no juicy details.
The dialogue tags were redundant!
"Am not!" she declared.
"Wipe that smirk off your face," she instructed.
"If you ever tell anyone ... you're in big trouble," she threatened.
What the characters are saying already tells us exactly how to interpret their emotions/attitudes - no need to TELL us what they mean with dialogue tags! It's like hitting the reader over the head.
Crazy amounts of exclamation marks! Everyone seems to be shouting all the time!! Some odd uses of words, like: He flicked one glance of dismissal at her feet, then opened the door. Is dismissal being used as a noun here?
2+ stars because overall, I think the author is a talented writer, and I liked it, but the storytelling was a bit weak. Had the writing not been so good, I might have not finished Too Close.
Where to start with this one? I was looking forward to reading Too Close as the premise of it sounded completely different than any book I've read to date. And I have to say, I was impressed with the story line as well as the author's writing, but in the end, it just left me wanting for more.
The Positive: I've noticed lately many writers are leaving out descriptive prose, and I think this is crime! I like IMAGERY! Tell me what the view out the window looks like, give me some smooth words about the starry night... In this respect, Elizabeth Krall did not fail to deliver. In fact, I highlighted a few of these passages because I was impressed.
Right off the bat, I was intrigued - the characters Nicola and Greg were well written, and with just the right amount of description that I could picture them. The romance starts off sweet and grows stronger with each chapter. And then, we get to the heart of the story. What a situation to find themselves in!
The Negative: Unfortunately, after the main conflict is introduced, it seems Krall ran out of story. From about 40% to the about 85%, the story rolls along, chapter after chapter, without any real impact on the main conflict. Yes, the scenes were nice and showed pleasant moments between the couple, and some expected reactions from Greg and Nicola's families, but none-the-less, they did not move the story forward, and I was uninterested in much of it.
Depending on what you like: The sex scenes could be considered 'just enough' or if you like a sexier read, they can be considered disappointingly lacking. The reader is offered some nice description of the events leading up to consummation, but then served up only a brief comment about Greg and Nicola's mutual pleasure of the act, or a fade to black, both scenarios offering no juicy details.
The dialogue tags were redundant!
"Am not!" she declared.
"Wipe that smirk off your face," she instructed.
"If you ever tell anyone ... you're in big trouble," she threatened.
What the characters are saying already tells us exactly how to interpret their emotions/attitudes - no need to TELL us what they mean with dialogue tags! It's like hitting the reader over the head.
Crazy amounts of exclamation marks! Everyone seems to be shouting all the time!! Some odd uses of words, like: He flicked one glance of dismissal at her feet, then opened the door. Is dismissal being used as a noun here?
2+ stars because overall, I think the author is a talented writer, and I liked it, but the storytelling was a bit weak. Had the writing not been so good, I might have not finished Too Close.
July 25, 2013
Nicola and Greg have both had their hearts broken. Nicola breaks her "no dating anyone at the office" rule when Greg joins the newspaper as an accountant. Very quickly they fall in love and make plans to get married. Those plans all come crashing down when Nicola meets Greg's mother, Mona, for the first time a couple weeks before the wedding. Mona reveals that when she was a teenager, she was messed up on drugs, ran away with a band, got pregnant by one of the band members (she doesn't know which one) and gave the baby away to a stranger in a park ... and Nicola might be that baby (she was adopted).
Very quickly Mona and Nicola do DNA tests and mail them away. As they wait for the results, things understandably get tense between Nicola and Greg and their families.
Nicola and Greg try to carry on as if things were normal ... Greg believes the results will be negative so it's a non-issue. Nicola, though, is thinking about the various options:
1. If the results are negative, they carry on and get married as planned.
2. If the results are positive, they break up and never see each other again, which would break their hearts.
3. If the results are positive, they stay together (but don't get married) and don't have kids. This is incest, thus illegal, and both could be sent to prison for a couple years. This also goes against Greg's religious beliefs as it would be a sin.
Interesting premise, right?
I liked this story and was curious to see how the author would end it (I'm not going to spoil it so you'll have to read it for yourself!). I liked the writing style and kept wanting to read more so I could see if Nicola and Greg were indeed half-siblings and how they'd deal with it.
For the most part, I liked Nicola and Greg. I got turned off from Greg at times and thought he was an A-hole, though, when he went into his "holier than thou" rants and stormed off. I would have liked to learned more about Mona and why she had run away as a teenager and did the things she did. Plus once her big reveal happened and they did the DNA tests, she pretty much disappeared. Nicola and Greg went Fifty Shades a couple times which I thought wasn't necessary because it took away from the main story ... it didn't fit in the story for me.
I'd recommend this story if you are looking for a different kind of love story. As a head's up, the language and activity are for a mature reader.
Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2013/07...
Very quickly Mona and Nicola do DNA tests and mail them away. As they wait for the results, things understandably get tense between Nicola and Greg and their families.
Nicola and Greg try to carry on as if things were normal ... Greg believes the results will be negative so it's a non-issue. Nicola, though, is thinking about the various options:
1. If the results are negative, they carry on and get married as planned.
2. If the results are positive, they break up and never see each other again, which would break their hearts.
3. If the results are positive, they stay together (but don't get married) and don't have kids. This is incest, thus illegal, and both could be sent to prison for a couple years. This also goes against Greg's religious beliefs as it would be a sin.
Interesting premise, right?
I liked this story and was curious to see how the author would end it (I'm not going to spoil it so you'll have to read it for yourself!). I liked the writing style and kept wanting to read more so I could see if Nicola and Greg were indeed half-siblings and how they'd deal with it.
For the most part, I liked Nicola and Greg. I got turned off from Greg at times and thought he was an A-hole, though, when he went into his "holier than thou" rants and stormed off. I would have liked to learned more about Mona and why she had run away as a teenager and did the things she did. Plus once her big reveal happened and they did the DNA tests, she pretty much disappeared. Nicola and Greg went Fifty Shades a couple times which I thought wasn't necessary because it took away from the main story ... it didn't fit in the story for me.
I'd recommend this story if you are looking for a different kind of love story. As a head's up, the language and activity are for a mature reader.
Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2013/07...
December 5, 2014
This fascinating story looks at one of society’s taboos in a truly interesting way. Nicola and Greg work for the same company, she as a travel editor, her in accounting/finance. They meet and fall in love. Two weeks before their wedding, Greg’s mother reveals that, while a run-away teenager, she may have given birth to a baby girl, who may well be Nicola, who was adopted by her parents. How the couple as well as how their families and closest friends handle this makes for a fascinating story. I was literally yanked in from the very start of the book. While telling the story of their love and how they cope with this disturbing news, the book also shines a light on an area of society that really receives little attention in a way this book does. Generally, we read about incest as connected to child abuse. In this book, both main characters are consenting adults who just happen to fall in love with possibly the wrong person. I found the description of the arguments that ensued, the discussions, the revelation and final realizations about this so-called “sin” to be both well done and fascinating. I applaud the author for presenting a situation that is rather creative and well done. As I read the book, which I had a great deal of difficulty putting down once the characters began to search for answers (through stories of past lives and scientific DNA testing) until the final pages when all was revealed. I even questioned my own beliefs in this area and wondered not a few times how or if I could cope with this same situation, were my life turned upside down as Nicola’s and Greg’s were by his mother’s tales of her years as a teenage run-away. I think this book serves a very useful and important role in today’s world because it presents a situation (I won’t refer to it as a problem) that may or may not exist (I suspect it does more often than we realize) and how people cope with it. It is a different sort of romance, tale of one couple’s love. It definitely shows the reader how people cope with startling (to say the very least) news and its potential impact on their lives. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a romance with a different twist or just a good, solid romance. The reader will learn a few things about incest and even the laws. I know I did. I received this from Library Thing to read and provide an honest review.
July 30, 2013
I was given the opportunity to read and review Too Close by Elizabeth Krall as part of a blog tour. I really enjoyed this book. It certainly kept me turning pages wondering what was going to happen to Nicola and Greg next. I really admired how this couple handled a very tricky situation together. When you are faced with a major obstacle that could stand between you and the love of our life just what are you willing to do for that love?
Nicola and Greg did their best to lead their lives with their hearts and try to forget they may have a major connection to each other besides they love they share. Greg's mother has to face her family with a secret that she has kept all these years. The secret very well may tear not only two people apart but could totally disrupt the lives of two whole families. I felt so such a loss for Mona as she was telling her story. She had been through so much, it was so nice to see what she was able to overcome to become the wonderful wife and mother Greg grew up knowing. Not only is there a lot of emotion and drama with Nicola and Greg, we also see the toll this mystery takes on both of their family's lives.
I loved how Ms. Krall wrote this story. She has done a wonderful job of showing a lot of options that could be placed in front of these two individuals that had come to love each other so much.
I'm not going to tell you how it turns out, because that is part of the thrill of reading the book, the wondering. I'm going to let you read it for yourself and find out if Nicola and Greg are related by blood.
I really did enjoy this story with all the drama and emotion involved. I enjoyed Ms. Krall's flow of writing and would enjoy reading more of her work in the future.
Nicola and Greg did their best to lead their lives with their hearts and try to forget they may have a major connection to each other besides they love they share. Greg's mother has to face her family with a secret that she has kept all these years. The secret very well may tear not only two people apart but could totally disrupt the lives of two whole families. I felt so such a loss for Mona as she was telling her story. She had been through so much, it was so nice to see what she was able to overcome to become the wonderful wife and mother Greg grew up knowing. Not only is there a lot of emotion and drama with Nicola and Greg, we also see the toll this mystery takes on both of their family's lives.
I loved how Ms. Krall wrote this story. She has done a wonderful job of showing a lot of options that could be placed in front of these two individuals that had come to love each other so much.
I'm not going to tell you how it turns out, because that is part of the thrill of reading the book, the wondering. I'm going to let you read it for yourself and find out if Nicola and Greg are related by blood.
I really did enjoy this story with all the drama and emotion involved. I enjoyed Ms. Krall's flow of writing and would enjoy reading more of her work in the future.
November 19, 2014
Greg and Nicola meet; fall in love and plan to spend the rest of their lives together. Each day their bond grows stronger and stronger. They knew early on they were soul- mates, and lucky to have found each other.
Greg met Nicola’s adoptive parents and was slightly overwhelmed by her large family. When Nicola meets Greg’s small but charming family she felt instantly at ease. She quickly finds that she and Greg’s mother Mona have a lot in common. They both have the same color of hair and beautiful sparkling blue eyes plus they share and intense love for gardening. During their visit, the more information Nicola shares about herself to Greg’s family the more quiet and withdrawn Mona becomes.
The next morning a distraught Mona drops a huge bombshell on her family. She tells them of her sordid past before meeting Greg’s dad. She also states she strongly suspects she is Nicola’s maternal mother. After hearing this horrific revelation, Greg and Nicola are utterly devastated. This earth shattering news has shaken them to their core. A DNA test is performed and the agonizing wait begins. As they wait, fear, panic and moral issues fill their hearts and minds. How can this be happening!
Author Elizabeth Krall has written such a remarkable, compelling story. It’s troubling to think how realistic this story-line is.
Stephanie Lasley, from The Kindle Book Review
The Kindle Book Review received a free copy of this book for an independent, fair, and honest review. We are not associated with the author or Amazon.
Greg met Nicola’s adoptive parents and was slightly overwhelmed by her large family. When Nicola meets Greg’s small but charming family she felt instantly at ease. She quickly finds that she and Greg’s mother Mona have a lot in common. They both have the same color of hair and beautiful sparkling blue eyes plus they share and intense love for gardening. During their visit, the more information Nicola shares about herself to Greg’s family the more quiet and withdrawn Mona becomes.
The next morning a distraught Mona drops a huge bombshell on her family. She tells them of her sordid past before meeting Greg’s dad. She also states she strongly suspects she is Nicola’s maternal mother. After hearing this horrific revelation, Greg and Nicola are utterly devastated. This earth shattering news has shaken them to their core. A DNA test is performed and the agonizing wait begins. As they wait, fear, panic and moral issues fill their hearts and minds. How can this be happening!
Author Elizabeth Krall has written such a remarkable, compelling story. It’s troubling to think how realistic this story-line is.
Stephanie Lasley, from The Kindle Book Review
The Kindle Book Review received a free copy of this book for an independent, fair, and honest review. We are not associated with the author or Amazon.
December 15, 2014
**I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.**
This starts out as a typical love story....until Nicola meets Greg's family, and learns she could possibly be his half-sister. His mother had a baby girl around the same time Nicola was born, in the same city, and never knew what happened to her.
As you can imagine, this causes complications for virtually everyone in the story. Greg and Nicola, of course, as well as Greg's mother, but also Nicola's adopted parents, and siblings of each of them, and their closest friends.
The strain of waiting for the DNA results was very well written. I could hardly wait to find out the answer myself. I must say that the entire situation was portrayed in what appears to be a very realistic manner.
This starts out as a typical love story....until Nicola meets Greg's family, and learns she could possibly be his half-sister. His mother had a baby girl around the same time Nicola was born, in the same city, and never knew what happened to her.
As you can imagine, this causes complications for virtually everyone in the story. Greg and Nicola, of course, as well as Greg's mother, but also Nicola's adopted parents, and siblings of each of them, and their closest friends.
The strain of waiting for the DNA results was very well written. I could hardly wait to find out the answer myself. I must say that the entire situation was portrayed in what appears to be a very realistic manner.
rom-contemporary
January 30, 2016For star rating and full review see InD'tale Magazine online July/Aug 2013 issue. http://indtale.com/reviews/too-close
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