Close to You
Kathryn Shay
Berkley, Feb 2007, $7.99
ISBN: 0425214508

Secret Service Agent C.J. Ludzecky is assigned to protect the wife and children of the Vice President. When the father of the Second Lady has a heart attack, she heads to the family lake house to be there for him. C.J. is one of the agents sent to escort and protect Bailey O'Neil whose spouse VP Clay Wainwright accompanies his wife and children to see his in-laws.

C.J. finds three of Bailey's brothers and their mom friendly and nice. The fourth sibling Aidan is another story altogether as C.J. is attracted to him and believes he wants her too. However, as the father of the Second lady recovers from Myocardial infarction as best he can, C.J. knows she must not let her heart get in the way of her mission, as terrorist groups would love to kill Bailey or any family member for that matter; whereas Aidan wants her as much and is not concerned about ruthless killers at first.

Close To You, the sequel to Someone To Believe In (Clay and Bailey's romance when he was a senator) is a delightful contemporary romance with a late suspense caused by a kidnapping attempt. The storyline is character driven as the O'Neil clan comes home to insure Pop is okay with the siblings all having differing personalities (Bailey's nicknames of her brothers seem so apropos). The lead couple is a delightful pairing as she takes her job seriously while he takes her seriously. Readers will enjoy Kathryn Shay's appealing tale wondering whether C.J. will call in that marker she earned.

Harriet Klausner