Wow. Okay, well, I was finally able to stop clutching my pillow - after doing it solidly for somewhere in between three to five minutes after I finished Closer - long enough to grab my phone to write this review. The ending just completely left me heartbroken and raw and I kind of just want to cry into my pillow, maybe watch some Veronica Mars and forget about this book for a little while. But even with wanting to do all that and knowing all the details - although I knew what the end result would be anyway because I read the synopsis for Mind Over Matter before I could stop myself - I don't regret reading Closer.
Oh, Gabriel, I loved him in #1 Crush and there are times in Closer that I really love the guy and times like right now where I don't hate him, but he's definitely not my favorite person. He doesn't do anything unforgivable and I'm honestly not mad at him, I'm just more sad than anything else and feel like he let Nicole and me down. Of course, just because I'm not mad him now doesn't mean that I never did get angry with him - because I did. He made me yell at him and want to smack him for being such a turkey face! Ugh! I know if I'm having a hard time remembering why I love him after all that, you're probably wondering how I ever loved him in the beginning or why you should take a chance on him and I'll tell you why. The reason is that in spite of all of the completely non-smart, boneheaded moves he makes, Gabriel is a good guy who loves Nicole.
Gosh, Nicole is such a great heroine, I really loved her. She's strong and brave, honest and caring, and understanding and patient. She's totally sweet, fiercely passionate, and undeniably a good person. Nicole isn't perfect and I didn't always agree with her, but she's really just amazing.
Closer took me on wild roller coaster ride full of highs and lows and twists and turns. It broke my heart and made it pound, made me nervous and worried, but also made me laugh and smile. I gasped the good gasp, I melted and felt light and happy. I know I haven't made Closer seem very fun to read, but it is and I enjoyed it way more than I didn't.
Closer is the second book in this series and it should be read after #1 Crush. It is told from Gabriel and Nicole's POV and it does end in a cliffhanger with no HEA yet, but I'm hoping for one in Mind Over Matter.
~ Sonja, 5 Stars