This was really funny and had me hooked right away!

I really enjoyed this! I am a big fan of this author and I can’t wait to read the full book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Carina for the chance to read a copy of this book!

This sample didn't work for me. We open with our heroine getting drunk, and alcohol abuse is a big pet peeve of mine. I wish they'd had an amazing one night stand and then were forced to work together knowing how good their chemistry was! This book also has "The Roommate" problem where...are sex workers actually famous in real life? Everyone seems to know and talk about Simon's past. Finally, while I admire Simon's portrayal as the perfect man, I'm uncomfortable with the idea of a couples therapist that only works with one side of the couple. This idea that women are amazing and men are doing the bare minimum and should shower them with affection bothers me--my partner and I both have flaws and if we needed to work on our relationship it would need to come from both of us. Unfortunately, there are too many issues I have with the way the book is set up to be interested in reading more.

This preview made me want to get the book. I need to finish the story to get more from it. I am in awe and want to know more.

The first five chapters of this book make it a must read for all romcom/romance lovers. Naomi has a chance encounter with a guy in a bar who has a very recognizable past. Their meet cute doesn't end so well but when she's assigned to interview him for her latest work assignment the sparks begin to fly. I can't wait for this book to be released so I can finish it! Love it so far!

This is the first time I've read anything from Sarah Smith, but it won't be the last. In the first five chapters, I automatically want to know the rest of the story and what happens between Naomi and Simon. I've added this book to my Kindle wishlist. Thanks to the author and NetGalley for the book preview in exchange for an honest review.

This preview was so great! I need more than 5 chapters! I cannot wait to read the rest. Thank you NetGalley and Carina Press for this preview.

Naomi and Simon are so cute. Naomi is trying to climb the ladder at her dream job and this assignment might take her to the top. There’s just one problem. Her attraction to Simon.

Simon is trying to build his couples therapy clinic and help men be better partners for their wives and girlfriends. The interview series he’s doing with Naomi might just be the ticket he needs to be taken seriously. If they can manage to keep it professional.

I need the rest of this book like Naomi needs her coffee and egg tarts in the morning.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this preview! I wish I had the whole book! The first five chapters really draw you in and I look forward to finishing the story once the book is released!

I really liked it, i honestly forgot I was even reading. Not a lot of books make me feel actually connected to the characters but this one definitely did the job.

I have read several books by Sarah Smith and this seems like it may be one of her best yet. What I love about Sarah Smith is when I start any book in the first couple chapters the characters have depth to them. Often time I found myself reading her books in one sitting and The Close-Up is one I definitely would have read in one sitting as well. In the first chapter alone I already knew I must pre-order this book because I would need more. Simon and Naomi have such amazing chemistry that is apparent even in the first couple of chapters. I always love a book that I feel for the characters right away. I can't wait to continue reading the rest!

I like the cam guy turned superstar therapist angle of this one and I’m curious to see where the relationship goes. Definitely a book I’ll add to my TBR to finish after reading this sample.

It grabbed my attention for a while. Then I felt it is predictable. The writing was not my favorite as I felt it wasn’t as creative and fell flat for me. But I would read it. I feel the story will develop more and I would want to see how it unfolds.

Thank you NetGalley and Carina Press & Carina Adores (Harlequin) for this preview of five Chapters of The Close-up.

I loved the first five chapters and I'm hooked. I can't wait for the book to be published.
Like introduced in the Blurb, Simon is cam-guy-turned-Relationship therapist who doesn't shy from his past & who is passionate about his work, smart, funny, self-aware, respectful & understanding. Reading Simon's character feels like breathe of fresh air and I am excited to read the story. Naomi is a digital editor who is dealing with a fresh break-up & putting herself on relationship ban. Her dating struggles in 20s are relatable.
When Naomi & Simon are collided and its right guy, wrong time situation happens. I'm sure rest of the story will be filled with humor, romance and sizzling chemistry!
In couple of moments it felt like There is nothing that is actually should be holding Naomi back, and I think that's kind of the whole point; I am eager to read that light-bulb going off moment. So I'm going to wait for the book to be Published!

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.

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 was able to review the first 5 chapters of this book. I must say it is leaving me wanting more for sure. I believe this would be considered an insta-romance! If you need a little convincing try a quote from the book
"Nothing good comes from a d**k pic." Truer words have never been spoken. Naomi and Simon are trying to keep up their office romance and I totally related as I met hubby at work. So you must know that I was very intruiged to see where this was going. I can't wait to read the rest.

Title: The Close-Up
Author: Sarah Smith
Pages: First 5 Chapters

* Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for providing me with the first 5 chapters of the book - as a cute little sneak peak.

A sweet (maybe spicy) office romance.
Naomi is on a relationship ban - too bad a few minutes after that declaration, Simon walks into her life with the intention to stay, at least for the duration of her work project. Simon, the camguy turned relationship therapist, is literally the perfect guy. Handsome, ridiculously sweet and a charmer, he is everything Naomi wanted (especially since she crushed on him during his camguy days). Naomi refuses to step over the boundary line of professional working relationship, into the territory of something new, but the sparks fly between them and it's getting difficult to stick to her no relationship/no Simon undertaking.

The publishers knew what they were doing by making the first 5 chapters available. I cannot wait for this book to come out so that I can see where Naomi and Simon's story ends. Unfortunately. due to the fact that it is only the first 5 chapters, I don't know a lot about the characters yet, I haven't really gotten to know them. Which is quite sad because the glimpse I've read of their personalities and the rest of their character traits, I adore them. Naomi is a go-getter but an absolute sweetie pie. Simons, while handsome and charming, is shy and down to earth.

The chemistry between them are palpable. I have a sneaky suspicion that this book will be well seasoned with spice.

I really am excited to finish this book and truly hope that I can get my hands on a copy soon. A definite recommend for my fellow romance readers out there.

I enjoyed reading the first five chapters of The Close-up. The relationship between Naomi and Simon got off to a fast start. The dialogue is quick and believable, and the pace was upbeat. Great story telling so far! I look forward to reading this one when it releases. I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to preview the chapters.

WHAT A PREVIEW! I only read 5 chapters and give it 5 stars! I love the premise, the characters, the chemistry!

Great preview! This was a fun and intriguing look into The Close-Up. My favorite part of the sampler was the chemistry between the leads and it seems to be leading into some of my favorite romantic tropes. I would absolutely be interested to see how the story continues. Thank you to Sarah Smith, Carina Press, and Netgalley for a sampler in exchange for honest feedback.

I was able to read an advanced copy of the first five chapters of The Close Up by @authorsarahs on @netgalley and it was my first ARC I’ve ever gotten. It was great!!

When Naomi Ellorza-Hays finds out her boyfriend is cheating on her, she swears off dating forever. That doesn’t mean she won’t do…other stuff, though. At the bar that night, her cousin/bff convinces her to check off “approaching a hot guy in a bar” on her fuck-it list, she decides—why not? It turns out, though, that the guy she approaches is Simon Rutler—ex-cam boy, known famously as The Pussy Whisper, who was Naomi’s ultimate fantasy when she was on college. After a drunken flirtation, and vomiting on his shoes, she’s totally humiliated and is happy to never see him again. That is, until she gets to work the next day and is asked to do a video series on relationship counselor extraordinaire Simon Rutler. Yep, that’s right, he’s now an increasingly popular relationship counselor that focuses on men being more vulnerable and sensitive with their partners and establishing more emotional bonds with them, and he is a sensation. Simon agrees, trusting Naomi that her series will make him seem as more than just The Pussy Whisperer, and their mutual attraction for one another plus her relationship ban, makes their working relationship a little more difficult, but Naomi knows she can do it. But will she be able to resist Simon’s wooing? I can’t wait to find out this April!

This is a fun, unique romance with an emotionally intuitive man who understands why Naomi feels the way she does, and is respecting her wishes. He’s sexy and sensitive and I’m really excited to see where this relationship goes. Their banter and flirtation is adorable, and Naomi’s relationship with her cousin Harper reminds me so much of my relationship with my best friends/cousins in my life.

April can’t come soon enough. I NEED MORE!!!

As much as I wanted to like The Close-Up, I just couldn't.

Did I have a giggle at the very first line "Nothing good comes from a dick pic. I know that now" - yes
Could I relate to Naomi's (main character) terrible dating experience of her 20's - also yes.

But that's where the positives end. I couldn't warm to Naomi. Simon, as the main love interest was highly unappealing to me. Could it be my age? Or could it just be that the idea of some dude who basically had a porn career, just an unscripted, unedited, home-made one (ie camming) didn't do it for me.

At times the story felt rushed and like it had a few holes.

I've read too many good romances lately, that this one just fell flat.

Thanks for the opportunity to have an advanced read NetGalley.