Close Up (Berkley Sensation) [Paperback]

Virginia Kantra (Author)

Book Description

Series: Berkley Sensation | Publication Date: July 5, 2005

Deep in the shadows of North Carolina's Nantahala forest, two strangers find themselves running from danger-and straight to each other ...

Lexie Scott may be the FBI director's daughter, but she's struggled her whole life to stay out of trouble and avoid the spotlight. When she's kidnapped by a survivalist group bent on teaching her father a lesson, however, she must summon the courage she never knew she had. Lexie escapes their wilderness headquarters-only to find that she's not alone in the woods...

Suspended cop Jack Miller came to North Carolina to rescue his sister from her abusive marriage to the survivalists' charismatic leader. Coming to Lexie's aid can only compromise Jack's plans. But he can't ignore Lexie's plight...or resist her appeal.

Tall, dark and rough-around-the-edges has never been Lexie's type. But in the lush, shadowy forest, Lexie has no choice but to trust this intimidating stranger. She's just not sure she can trust her heart...

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Berkley; Regular Print/Single Titl edition (July 5, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425206793
• ISBN-13: 978-0425206799
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,583,518 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Stories are magic. Even in tough times, they have the power to sweep us away.

Up and down the British Isles, people tell stories of the selkie, immortal creatures of the sea living apart from humankind who come ashore to take human lovers. The Children of the Sea series, set off the rocky coast of Maine, was inspired by those legends.

USA Today bestselling author Virginia Kantra is the winner of numerous writing awards, including two National Readers' Choice Awards. Married to her college sweetheart and the mother of three kids, she is a firm believer in the strength of family, the importance of storytelling, and the power of love.

For excerpts and more, visit her on the web at http://virginiakantra.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars uncomfortable but gripping, October 15, 2005

By 

glassalgae "Elizabeth" (North Carolina) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Close Up (Berkley Sensation) (Paperback)

Virginia Kantra always has edgy characters and scary stories, but now the gloves are off. The religious cult made me feel sick and the situations Lexie and Jack were in always went from bad to worse. As someone who likes a fast paced, suspenseful read, I enjoyed it, but I felt relieved when it was over. This is not a novel for unwinding over after a stressful day.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't pass this one up!, July 27, 2005

By 

Diane Bradford (North Carolina) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Close Up (Berkley Sensation) (Paperback)

Virginia Kantra created a tension-packed romantic suspense about a woman trying to escape a cult in the woods of North Carolina, and a suspended cop who helps her, to the detriment of his own agenda--saving his sister from her husband who is one of the cult leaders. This one is a page-turner. You won't be disappointed.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars emotionally gripping page-turner, December 17, 2008

By 

D. K. Stokes - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Close Up (Berkley Sensation) (Paperback)

Close-Up is exciting, suspenseful, romantic, sexy, and emotional.

Lexie Scott and Jack Miller meet in the woods outside a survivalist compound. She escapes while he's watching and getting ready to rescue his sister. Jack's a cop who was suspended for beating up a suspect, and he can't tell Lexie the whole truth because he believes she's an abused woman running away from her abuser, and his experience tells him that she'll end up going back and telling the abuser everything. Lexie is the daughter of the director of the FBI who'd been kidnapped to teach her father a lesson, and she can't tell Jack the whole truth because if he notifies her father, his sister will be in even greater danger.

Yet they have no choice but to trust each other, and working together to elude the pursuers and to try to rescue Jack's sister makes them develop respect and admiration for each other, in addition to the physical attraction they feel.

Close-Up is a definite page-turner. Don't start this one late at night, because you won't find a good place to stop and put it down until morning. It's full of non-stop action, sexual and emotional tension, and a very believable developing romance.

One thing I always look for in a romance is an equal relationship, and Close-Up delivers. Jack may have the edge on Lexie when it comes to training and physical strength, but Lexie holds her own with brains, guts, and determination.

Character growth is another aspect that pushes a book over from just good to excellent, and Close-Up has that, too. Both Jack and Lexie learn that there's more to them than they thought there was. Jack's been beating himself up for his loss of control, but he learns that his real strength is in his ability to care. Lexie's lived all her life in the shadow of her strong-willed parents, always being the flexible one and going along with things, but she learns she has emotional strength of her own.

I highly recommend Close-Up, and will be looking for more of Virginia Kantra's books.