Wow. This was such an amazing read from start to finish. I devoured it in one sitting & stayed up way past my bedtime. Like my eyes were literally closing, but I just could not put it down! It had me laughing from the very start & I was immediately hooked. This is an open door romance with multiple steamy scenes (which I adored). One of the things I loved was that even with all the steaminess, there was the perfect amount of chemistry & character development, as well as build up between the two. From the sexual tension & sexy banter to the swoon worthy intimate moments, Sarah absolutely delivered. Another thing that I loved was that both characters were very comfortable in their own skin, with each other, & were very much sex positive. If there is one thing I can’t stand is miscommunication, especially in steamy romance. Both hero & heroine are coffee lovers (just like me) so I loved that. & Can I just say, the bathtub scene with the pink vibrator, absolute perfection!
If you enjoy open door romance with swoon worthy romance that will make you laugh, this one is for you!

You can expect:

* Open Door Romance
* Friends to Lovers
* Laugh Out Loud Romcom
* Coworkers to Lovers
* Sex Positive Characters
* Forced Proximity
* Based in San Francisco
* Amazing Chemistry & Banter
* Naughty Cinnamon Roll Hero
* Sexy Hot Mess Heroine

LOVED this steamy friends to lovers romance! Ex-cammer, current therapist Simon is such a babe, so intelligent, funny, and sex positive, and I love Naomi's grit and sweetness. I rooted for this couple so hard. The scenes where Naomi is thinking back to Simon's camming videos *fans self*. I can't wait to see more from this series!

I enjoyed parts of this book, but didn’t love the male MC. He was too soft for me (for lack of a better word). I liked Naomi’s progression from beginning to end, I just didn’t love Naomi and Simon as a couple.

Thank you to Netgalley for a digital arc in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely loved Sarah Smith’s other book, Simmer Down, so I was so excited to get a copy of this one ahead of its release date. I do really enjoy Simon and Naomi’s relationship, and her cousin Harper was fantastic (I want a story about her)! The sex positivity was great in this book, and I loved how it dealt with Simon’s past job, and how Naomi didn’t shame him for it. I loved how Simon was open and mature when it came to relationships, and how he stood up for women and their views in his seminars and sessions.

I did think there were so many moments that the author could’ve shown/expanded several scenes to really show the evolution of Simon and Naomi, like when he went to her house to eat leftovers and do face masks or of the time they were in Napa with his family. I think it would’ve made me fall in love with these characters even more.

My biggest issue with the book though was with the dialogue. Most of it, especially between Simon and Naomi, wasn’t natural. It seemed robotic and stilted a lot of the time. It got better towards the end, but I struggled with it for most of the book.

Other than that, I did enjoy this book quite a bit, and I can’t wait to pick up Smith’s next one.

Simon Rutler is a relationship expert. he is a very successful relationship therapist despite not having had a successful relationship of his own. in fact, Naomi's boss insists on interviewing him for a miniseries to be uploaded on the company website. Naomi's boss is unaware that Naomi had met Simon before. just a few days earlier, she puked on his shoes in a bar. she also recognises him from his camming days in college 😳🫣. things start to seem a liiitle out of hand once both agrees to keep things strictly platonic and professional during filming.

i really want to love this book, given the castings set by the author, i was intrigued! what i didn’t know is that this book was a little bit inappropriate for me to read well im an adult that’s for sure but i think it’s creepy.. friends to lovers or creeps to lovers..(?) and i felt the plot was a bit draggy with unnecessary details and interactions with extra characters. on the bright side i love the banter and i love their friendship and certainly the happy ending 🥹 based on the ratings and reviews, everybody pretty much love this book, maybe i’m the problem 🤷🏻‍♀️ anyway, this book will be out on 5th April! thank you netgalley and Carina Press(Harlequin) for the e-Arc in exchange for an honest review <3

RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 /5
SPICE: 🌶 🌶 /5
INCLUDES: forced proximity, colleagues, friends to lovers

As someone who is from the Bay Area, I was screaming at the references because I could picture exactly the places mentioned and it made reading this so much more fun. This makes me so excited for the rest of series!

Naomi is someone who hasn't had much luck in relationships and she's cultivated this idea that they will never work for her because of what she's encountered in the past. She finds out her boyfriend is cheating on her and on a night out on the town, she meets Simon. Simon is a couple's therapist who has a famous past due to him being a cam boy. Naomi's boss wanting an exclusive on him before any other media company can, instructs her do an interview with him and it ends up becoming a huge hit.
Due to the popularity, Naomi starts to work on an entire series "Simply Simon" of him which means they start to spend lots of time together.

The forced proximity with this project, allows them to start seeing each other in a new light. It's not a secret how attracted they are to each other but they remain friends and pretend that spark isn't there. Jealous Simon was a moment! As their relationship starts to heat up, Naomi always has in the back of her mind that it's never going to work even though they haven't tried.

Simon is literally perfection and I just wanted to scream at Naomi for hurting him because she was allowing the negativity she had that it would never work to blind her of the man who was just waiting for her to say yes. Naomi was just a bit childish in this situation and it wasn't until everyone around her convinced her to make it work that she believed it could. My girl should have groveled more!

Overall, this was a fun read! I loved the plot and it's something I had never read before. I loved loved their individual families of both main characters. very excited to see how this series continues to go <3

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you NetGalley for sending me this book in exchange for a fair and honest review because I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thank you, again!

Naomi is fresh out of a terrible relationship when she meets Simon who actually was her virtual crush from her college days. He was a hot camguy that all the young women probably secretly salivated over back in the day. Now he’s the most thoughtful relationship therapist ever and Naomi gets to work with him for a docuseries she will be in charge of. It’s great for her career, perfect opportunity to prove herself to her boss, so no funny business can go on. Naomi must stay strictly professional despite the explosive chemistry she feels with Simon.

I honestly loved everything about this book. I loved the backstory, loved Naomi’s profession, and of course I loved the relationship she had with Simon. The build up was perfect, one scene in particular completely shocked me in an awesome way. I was blushing and getting worked up myself. This book is HOT.

I devoured this book from start to finish, it had me panting, and screaming out for more!

Naomi is a online content creator, who just found out that her boyfriend was cheating. Simon is a hot therapist who she hits on at a bar on a whim, and then becomes the subject of her next video. Their attraction is instant, but Naomi puts the brakes on immediately because she doesn't want to seem unprofessional. They become fast friends as the feature becomes a series, and they need to navigate how to handle their ever growing attraction.

Steamy. Steamy. Steamy! This book exudes hotness. I couldn't stop reading it, and powered through the whole book in just a couple of days! As someone who fell for her best friend, I loved the points the book makes about treating your spouse/S.O. like a friend and treating each other with respect and TALKING rather than dropping conversations and running away from hard topics. There's a lot of good relationship advice in here.

If you're into steamy romance, with a side of God advice, definitely grab this one!

I received an Advanced Reader Copy via NetGalley in return for sharing my thoughts on this book. Thanks to the author and publisher for this opportunity!

Simon says GO PREORDER THIS BOOK.⁣
⁣
Swoon.. Simon is just swoon- so kind, thoughtful, intelligent, family oriented, pleasures his woman and knows how, and so sexy. He’s charismatic but also humble and man did I fall for him hard… I mean Naomi fell for him hard. ⁣
⁣
This book was laugh out loud funny at times, the banter was incredible, the chemistry was like fireworks. My heart was warm and fuzzy. ⁣
⁣
Naomi has had the relationships from hell and puts herself on a relationship ban. She’s a producer for an online program and when her boss asks her to interview Simon, a therapist and marriage counselor who specifically works with men, they form a friendship and incredible work relationship but they also have this undeniable chemistry.⁣
⁣
I devoured this book. It also had some excellent steamy scenes. Let’s just say Simons oral skills for speaking at seminars aren’t his only oral skills. 😏⁣
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Thank you @carinapress for an ARC for my honest review ! @authorsarahs #bookstagram #books #romcom #romance #netgalley

The Close-Up was my first Sarah Smith book but definitely not my last!

Naomi is a digital editor for a site called Dash who is on a "relationship ban" after a string of bad relationships. Simon is the "perfect guy" who, as a relationship therapist, is Naomi's current interview assignment. Sparks fly, but they work together so any relationship is off-limits.

I really enjoyed the start of this book. The characters jump off the page and the chemistry between them captivated me from the beginning. There are also some super legit plot twists (such as Simon's work as a former cam guy and the distressing way Naomi finds out her boyfriend is cheating on her) that make this book feel very unique. It's definitely not a cookie-cutter read.

There's a little bit of everything here: fluff, jealousy, pining, and steam. It's definitely on the happier side and is perfect for anyone who likes the workplace romance with the whole can't be together because they work together vibe, which I'm a huge fan of. The premise is totally believable - it makes sense why they're always around each other but can't actually hook up.

Plus, the main characters' jobs are really interesting. I loved watching them work together and hearing Simon talk about relationships before they're actually in a relationship.

Towards the middle/end, this book slowed down for me a bit. Simon seems just...too perfect? He has literally no flaws so there wasn't much growth on his end. Even during the sexy scenes, it felt more like Simon was just doing what he normally does - being good in bed. I had no sense that this was different for him, even though he falls for Naomi very quickly. His character was a bit too static for me.

Meanwhile, I felt like Naomi came off as a bit immature at times. She jumps from feeling to feeling too quickly and does things that just don't make sense. For example, she's in the middle of kissing Simon and gets a call from her best friend/cousin. Instead of texting her best friend to say she'll call her later (or quickly answering to say the same thing), she jumps on the phone and talks to her friend the entire Uber ride back, so she never gets a chance to decide where things stand with Simon. I wish some of her actions had made a bit more sense. However, she does have a lovely arc and really grows towards the end.

My last *wish* is that the author had included less obvious dialogue. Often, it feels as though the characters are stating exactly what they think point blank, which from my experience people in real life don't do. I'd rather have a little mystery instead of being told what the characters are feeling.

The happy ending was really sweet. Plus, I loved all the little *jealousy* moments along the way. The author does a great job of keeping the tension up. There are a few time jumps that I wish hadn't happened (I want to see more of their relationship along the way), but the romance is very clearly developed and it's obvious by the end that the characters belong together.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Carina Press for providing me with an ARC of this in exchange for an honest review. This book will be published on April 5, 2022!

My first Sarah Smith book and definitely not my last!

This book started SO strong for me. I was lucky enough to read the first 5 chapters ahead of this and I was completely hooked by the refreshing characters (particularly Simon as a former cam guy and now relationship therapist!) and their electric chemistry from the get-go. I also loved how open the characters were and that themes such as mental health, toxic masculinity and the importance of therapy, were all explored.

As soon as I could pick up where I left off I was THERE. This was such a fast-paced, fun and refreshing rom-com that I read in two sittings!

One thing I did notice was quite a few jumps in time which was a bit disappointing as I would've liked to have seen the organic development of the relationship and exactly what happened off-page. It meant that I didn't fully feel connect to them as a couple as the romantic feelings felt a bit rushed? I also struggled with Naomi's choices towards the end (as is often the case with second act conflicts!) and am not really a fan of drama like this - I really felt for Simon, who was really supportive throughout. Despite this, I really liked the story itself and there were some great laugh-out-loud moments.

Overall, this rom-com was a breath of fresh air and a unique take on the workplace romance trope, perfect for fans of Christina Lauren!

3.5 stars

Sarah Smith has hit it out of the park with this one. Not only has she given us a leading man that makes a living teaching couples how to make their relationships better, but he practices what he preaches, and it makes him an amazing character. Naomi has had some pretty terrible relationships in the past, and isn't in the greatest headspace regarding forming a new one, which makes her the perfect challenge for him.

There are so many gems of amazing advice regarding relationships, and each character is comfortable enough in their own skin to speak out and assert themselves with respect to communication between couples. Both are incredibly confident in their own sexual lives, which is a breath of fresh air to read about as well.

I loved the main characters, and the fun and eccentric supporting cast of characters in this book. This book has intense and spicy chemistry, which I am always a fan of. I read the entire thing in one setting, and don't at all regret the sleep I missed out on. This book is another example of why I will read every book Sarah Smith writes!

Thanks to Carina Press for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I've enjoyed many of Sarah Smith's previous books, so I was looking forward to this one based on the synopsis. Unfortunately, it fell pretty flat for me. The chemistry between Naomi and Simon felt forced and not natural, as did much of the conflict. I wanted a push-pull, will they/won't they energy to keep me hooked -- but that tension was lacking here. It didn't help that the only things really keeping Naomi and Simon apart was their own arbitrary decision not to hook up.

Part of what really intrigued me in the synopsis was the fact that Naomi had watched Simon as a cam guy when she was in college, and I was dying to see how that would play into their relationship -- but ultimately, it never really did. Simon wants to put his reputation behind him, but the fact that Naomi was a huge fan back in the day never really figures into their dynamic. It almost felt like an unnecessary detail as it didn't really add anything to the plot like I'd thought it would.

THE CLOSE-UP wasn't a bad book. It just wasn't a very good book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Carina Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Close-Up is the first standalone novel in, what I expect will be, a shared universe of novels. In this story in particular, we meet Naomi, a mid thirties online digital editor at Dash. When her boss tells her that her marriage was saved because of a relationship therapist her husband saw, she tasks Naomi with creating a series about said therapist. Simon Rutler is that therapist, but he's also someone that Naomi is intimately familiar with (in a somewhat biblical sense).

This having been my first read from Sarah Smith, I wasn't sure what to expect. However, I was pleasantly surprised. This may have been my first read by Smith, but it certainly won't be my last. I found her written voice easy to read. Although the story is told from Naomi's point of view, I didn't feel as though I was missing too much. I typically enjoy reading stories told in first person point of view, with a male as one of the narrators. And although we didn't get to see inside Simon's mind, Smith did an excellent job in giving us the pieces we needed in order to understand how Simon might have been feeling or thinking.

There were both some emotionally charged scenes and laugh out loud moments that had me flipping pages in my Kindle like crazy. I knew with Naomi being on a self-professed "relationship ban" while also knowing Simon as the camming guy she used to watch in college, that there were going to be some hilarious moments and boy, was I right. Between the bath tub scene, Bangerz, to Naomi's comments during the filming of the series, it was only a matter of time before the hilarity turned into hot romance. And although it took much longer than I normally like (we didn't really get a full-fledged sex scene until 70%), I found that because Smith had built her characters and their friendship up so well, I wasn't as impatient as I normally am to get to the romance and the spice.

The Close-Up gets a four star review from me. While Naomi could be irritating in her convictions at times, she had Simon by her side. While most would describe him as perfect, he has his flaws just like any other character. But he's aware of them, which makes him different from most book men I read. This entire book was a breath of fresh air and I was so happy I got the chance to read it.

Simon Rutler knows relationships. Despite not having a successful relationship of his own, he is a very successful relationship therapist. In fact, that is exactly what prompts Naomi's boss to insist that she interview him for a docu-series to be posted onto their company website. What Naomi's boss doesn't know is that Naomi has met Simon previously. In fact, she vomited on his shoes at a bar just a few days ago. Oh and also, she knows of him from his college camming days! *wiggles eyebrows* Vowing to keep things strictly friendly, yet professional between each other during filming, things begin to get very comfortable. Maybe a little too comfortable, if you know what I mean!

Simon was a sweetheart and literally the perfect boyfriend. Since he is a relationship therapist and ex-cam boy, he knew exactly what to say and do (If you know what I mean *wink wink* - If only other men could be this flawless!) Naomi on the other hand.. I don't know. I just didn't jive with her character. She felt a bit childish - Instantly jumping down Simon's throat at times, or assuming the worst case scenarios. I don't know, maybe it was just played up for the drama aspect of it all, but I didn't like it.

Have you guys ever read a book that was slow and dragged on, yet at the same time felt really rushed? I don't even know how to explain it. It felt like the author was jumping from this scene, to this scene, to this scene, yet at the same time, I would only move approximately 5% in the book. But when the sexy scenes happened, it was pages upon pages of description! In fact at one point, I think a sex scene was over two chapters! But then it jumped right back to being rushed. It was so strange.

I think I'm going to have an unpopular opinion here, but I just didn't overally enjoy this one. Too much of a rushed storyline, too many plot holes, too much drama for no reason. No, thank you. 2.5 stars, rounded up to 3/5.

Naomi is a content producer for a web site called Dash. Simon is a therapist who helps men build healthier relationships with their significant others. But there’s a bit of a history as well. Simon used to be a ‘cam guy’ (with full permission and eager participation of his partners, of course). And Naomi used to watch and get off to his videos.

Now Naomi is tasked with interviewing him - even doing a series on him, for Dash. But more is going on than just a web series. Her “self-imposed professionalism code” is gonna be hard to stick to. Love is in the air. Can Naomi, relationship-gun shy, allow love to grow? Or even just believe that love can grow?

The book is often laugh out loud funny. Their meet cute has Naomi vomiting on his shoes after she tries to pick him up at a bar! Quite an auspicious beginning. Oh so sexy, right? Not.

However, It was a bit of a stretch when she would refer to his apparent shyness, his checks or the tip of his ears turning red. This after telling us in the first chapter how, just before going down on a woman, he’d turn to the camera and give a cheeky grin. Doesn’t seem shy to me.

But Simon is just plain sexy and just plain dreamy. As you might expect in a relationship counselor, he says all the right things. And Naomi is so scared but so in love and confused. She seems very real to life.

It was a very engaging and charming book. Not my favorite but well worth the read. It’s a 3.5/4

THE CLOSE-UP follows Naomi and Simon. After another bad breakup, Naomi declares a relationship ban. But when her best friend convinces her that a little harmless flirting is the best way to move on, Naomi embarrasses herself by throwing up on the hot cam guy she used to watch in college. Naomi is mortified when she goes into work and finds out that the Simon is the star of the new docuseries she’s in charge of directing. Now, Simon is off limits. Except these two can’t stop thinking about each other.
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I had a blast reading this book. I couldn’t stop smiling. It was fun, sexy, and uplifting. I adore Simon; his communication with Naomi was wonderful. I wanted to shake Naomi sometimes and tell her to snap out of it, but she pulled through in the end. Seeing her accept his love and allowing herself to trust in their relationship was so nice.
I really enjoyed Simon’s passion for relationship therapy and the conversation on how his past sex work affects his dating life. I *loved* that Naomi always appreciated him and supported him in his sex work, even before she knew him personally.
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5/5 stars, THE CLOSE-UP by Sarah Smith is available now! Thank you to Harlequin and Netgalley for sending me an eARC to review.

When Naomi breaks up with her boyfriend she is ready to give up on relationships. But when she goes out with her best friend/cousin, she gives in to doing something out of the norm and tries to pick up a hot stranger. That stranger turns out to be Simon, a former camguy that Naomi use to watch. Well turns out Simon is now a relationship therapist and the new subject of Naomi’s web series. As Naomi and Simon grow a working relationship, they also begin to form a strong and honest friendship. But the undeniable connection they have doesn’t always make it easy for them to keep their relationship totally professional.

The premise of this book completely hooks you in from the start and the chemistry between Naomi and Simon is so palpable throughout. But I did have a few issues with the pacing towards the middle/end of the book. There were definitely a few times I wanted to just grab Naomi and talk her out of her self-sabotaging ways. But Simon is always so understanding and patient with her. We love an emotionally aware hero.

All in all, I genuinely enjoyed this read.

Thank you NetGalley and Carina Press for this arc.

This book definitely caught me off guard in many ways, especially the first line…nothing good comes from a d**k pic.

Naomi discovers her boyfriend is cheating on her after he texts her a d**k pic calling her Laura. After hitting the local bar to drown her sorrows she encounters Simon, who she drunk flirts with. She eventually realizes he’s the infamous ‘cam guy’ from her college days. Thousands of college girls, including herself, watched and USED his sex videos where he’s pleasuring women that he broadcasts on his webcam for all to see. After realizing who he is she flees.

It turns out Simon is now a marriage counselor/therapist. Naomi panics when she finds out at work that she’s assigned to interview him. Though Simon is not embarrassed and doesn’t regret his past, he’s still wanting to move on from it. He wants people to take him serious as a an adult and a therapist, but some people can’t seem to get past his college cam days. Can Naomi?

This story plays off the of ’never judge a book by it’s cover’ saying. Naomi’s relationship journey in this is a mess. It’s going to spark frustration. She self sabotages any chances with Simon, she goes on and off cold with him, she fights her attraction to him, and she dates other men trying to convince herself they can only be friends. She’s a walking relationship disaster. She’s broken. She can’t commit. There’s a lot going on at once & it’s a confusing mess at times, but I believe it’s supposed to be. It’s the turbulent story of her life. Certain parts will anger you and others parts you will love. Can she learn to stop self sabotaging things with Simons ? There are times both Simon and Naomi annoyed me. Everyone and their dog had eyebrows that waggled in this 😂, but I still loved this book. It’s extremely provocative, sex positive and extremely thought provoking. I loved this one! It’s a roller coaster of all emotions, but beautifully done!

4.5 stars - The Close-Up is a very fresh take on what a rom com can be. It feels new, a little risqué, and entirely engrossing.

I love the hero, Simon. He’s perfect — mature, adventurous, kind, smoking hot, etc. the heroine, Naomi, is open-minded, talented, beautiful, and a rising star at her online media company. Theo meet cute is humorous. Their love story is all the things. I really enjoyed this one.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.